The European Union will mobilise €54.5 million in humanitarian aid for vulnerable populations affected by conflicts, natural disasters or epidemics in the African Great Lakes region, the European Commission announced on Tuesday 13 April.
The bulk of the package - €44 million - is for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), including €4.5 million for education of children in emergencies and €1.5 million for disaster preparedness.
“The magnitude of the humanitarian crisis, especially in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is very worrying. The EU’s assistance will be used to provide food, health and protection assistance, enhance emergency and disaster preparedness, and increase access to education for those displaced”, commented Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, quoted in a statement.
€1.5 million will fund disaster preparedness support in the Republic of the Congo.
€9 million is earmarked for the relief of vulnerable populations in Burundi and to cover the needs of Burundian refugees in the Great Lakes region. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)