As fighting continues in Ukraine and the flow of refugees continues to grow - the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said, on Friday 11 March, that more than 2.5 million people have left the country to escape the war - the EU continues to coordinate emergency humanitarian aid to Ukraine and neighbouring countries.
A total of 29 countries have so far responded to Ukraine’s request for assistance through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism - the 27 Member States, Turkey and Norway have offered a total of 80 million essential items (first aid kits, shelter materials, fire-fighting equipment, water pumps, electricity generators, fuel) - whose distribution needs to be speeded up.
After the Polish logistics platform established for this purpose through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (see EUROPE 12904/7), a new platform is now operational in Romania, where EU Commissioner Janez Lenarčič visited, on 10 March, to meet the authorities and coordinate assistance to people arriving from Ukraine. The Commissioner visited the Ukrainian border at the Siret crossing to assess the situation on the ground.
The platform is located in Suceava, where four trucks of medicines destined for Ukraine had already arrived on 9 March from Italy.
“Behind the incredible support the country is giving to Ukraine, there is an excellent organisation, but above all a professional and dedicated team”, the Commissioner commented on his Twitter account on the evening of 10 March, after visiting the Romanian civil protection headquarters.
In addition, the EU is allocating a further €3 million in humanitarian aid funding to Moldova to support the Ukrainians they are hosting (winter items, shelter, protection, transport, access to health care, but also cash assistance.
“Despite the ongoing hostilities, our humanitarian partners in Ukraine are beginning to step up their operations to bring relief to the people who need it most”, said Lenarčič. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)