To address the huge and growing humanitarian needs caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the European Commission is determined to increase EU aid to the victims of the war, which in 13 days has made 2 million refugees in neighbouring countries, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi.
On the same day, the Commission adopted a Communication on ‘EU solidarity with those fleeing war’ and with countries hosting refugees.
The Communication underlines the gravity of the situation, outlines the relief effort undertaken so far to assist the populations in distress and the intensity of the efforts to be continued through direct humanitarian assistance, emergency support through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, border support as well as through a clear legal status allowing refugees to benefit immediately from temporary protection in the EU.
The costs of hosting these refugees would be financed by mobilising uncommitted funds from the EU’s 2014-2020 budget.
“In Ukraine, the humanitarian situation is alarming, because civilians, especially in urban centres, have been trapped for days without water, without electricity, without food”, said the Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič. Denouncing “massive violations of international humanitarian law by the Russian army”, he called for full humanitarian access and to “allow humanitarian and medical workers to work in safety”.
More than €500 million in humanitarian aid from the EU budget had already been announced on 2 March by Ursula von der Leyen to deal with the consequences of the war in Ukraine both at home and abroad (see EUROPE 12902/5).
€90 million in initial aid already pledged to Moldova as a contribution to the UN flash appeal for US$1.7 billion, including US$500 million for the regional response plan. This appeal was fully funded, the Commissioner stressed.
EU Member States have made €345 million available.
Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas stressed that 2 million refugees was more than the 1 million refugees who fled the war in Syria during 2015 and 2016. We are ready to step up our assistance with a package of measures to ensure that all those fleeing the war have access to health, work, housing and electricity, regardless of their nationality or skin colour," he said.
“We are offering help in the face of a never-ending disaster”, added the Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson, welcoming the solidarity shown by EU Member States from the start of the crisis by agreeing last week to activate the Temporary Protection Directive for the first time (see other news).
She expressed her concern about “half a million uprooted children who need to be able to go to school” and called for support for the most vulnerable - unaccompanied minors, a prime target of human traffickers.
The Commission proposes to extend the implementation period of the Home Affairs financial instrument under the previous multi-annual budget, which will make €420 million immediately available for the management of these refugee flows, in addition to the national emergency funding in the current budget.
“By extending these funds, we make them available for the current programming period”, Schinas said.
In addition, by fully exploiting the flexibility of EU cohesion policy, through the CARE initiative, uncommitted funds from the previous budget will allow for an exceptional co-financing rate of 100% (see other news). This means that all expenses incurred as a result of the exceptional situation at the external border can be reimbursed.
Speaking in the European Parliament on behalf of the EU Council Presidency, French Minister Brigitte Klinkert assured that “no one will be sent back from the EU’s external border”. She also indicated that, in order to coordinate Member States’ humanitarian aid, rationalise refugee transfers between Member States and make optimal use of all available reception capacity, a solidarity platform has been set up under the coordination of the European Commission.
The Commission’s proposal will require the agreement of the European Parliament and the Council of the EU.
See the Commission’s communication: https://aeur.eu/f/nh (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)