Brussels, 05/06/2000 (Agence Europe) - The deterioration in the humanitarian situation in Sierra Leone has convinced the European Commission to earmark an additional EUR 12 million to help the civilian populations threatened by the return to full-scale war in this country. The funds, allocated by the European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO), will mainly finance emergency life-saving and life-preserving activities for both internally displaced and resident populations within the country. The Commission also plans to increase its health and food programmes for some 350,000 refugees currently in Guinea and Liberia, and contribute to the financing of specific programmes geared to the needs of women and children, the mutilated and war-wounded.
Given the conditions of insecurity, ECHO partners responsible for carrying out these operations (UN High Commissioner for Refugees, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), Médicins sans frontières, Save the Children, Merlin, Handicap International, Action Contre la Faim, etc) have been invited by the Commission not to take any unnecessary risks and to closely monitor the provision of aid to ensure that aid gets "in the right mouths" and is not diverted.
The allocation of funds was decided after consultation with the Member States of the Union.