In response to the worsening humanitarian crisis resulting from the conflict in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, the EU is increasing its emergency humanitarian aid for the region by €23.7 million, the European Commission announced on Monday 21 December.
€18.8 million will go to ECHO's (the Commission's humanitarian aid department) humanitarian partner organisations in Ethiopia.
These funds are aimed at urgently replenishing and pre-positioning stocks of essential goods and equipment, providing vital services such as water and health care and improving the treatment of malnutrition. This will bring EU humanitarian aid to Ethiopia to €63.2 million in 2020.
There will also be €2 million for Sudan to help the country cope with the influx of refugees from Tigray, bringing total EU aid to Sudan to €67.5 million this year.
In addition, €2.9 million will help address the rapidly deteriorating food security situation of refugees in Kenya. This brings EU humanitarian aid to Kenya to €17.9 million in 2020.
In a statement, the Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, reiterated the EU's call on the Ethiopian government to “grant unconditional, unimpeded and immediate access to all people in need in Tigray” (see EUROPE 12622/18). (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)