Brussels, 10/01/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has approved the financing of a framework programme aimed at providing emergency aid to the uprooted populations of Burma and West Timor in 2001 and 2002. Several other projects are foreseen for the same period in favour of refugees and displaced persons on the Asian continent. This action is carried out in close cooperation with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and is intended to contribute to the stabilisation of displacement in sensitive regions of Burma and West Timor, to provide essential aid to refugees, to facilitate their freely consented repatriation and ensure their reintegration in full safety and dignity. Although there are sizeable obstacles, the situation is evolving and this programme will allow the Community to react immediately as soon as the conditions required are fulfilled, it is stated in the preamble to the decision adopted on 29 December by written procedure. The HCR will carry out the coordination and the supervision of the activities financed by the Community. Community financing has been set at a maximum of EUR 10 million (of which 40% is for Rohingya repatriated to Burma and 60% for refugees in West Timor), which will be raised within the limits of the resources available from the budget 2000.
In annex to this decision, the Commission notes deployment of aid to displaced persons in, Asia between 1997 and 2000. It concludes there is a need to maintain the Community presence there during the next two years, mainly through 22 projects in progress which correspond to a total sum of EUR 50.2 million. Sixteen of these projects are intended for Afghan refugees (EUR 43 million), three to Burmese refugees (EUR 2.2 million), one to the Laotians (EUR 158,000), one to Bhutanese refugees in Nepal (EUR 300,000) and one to displaced persons in Sri Lanka (EUR 4 million). In addition to the above, there is a project of EUR 29.5 million that is about to be launched in the context of the budgetary year 2000. Most of this amount (60%) is for action in Afghanistan and Iran in the wake of the Afghan crisis, 17% is for assistance to refugees and displaced persons in Burma and 12% is for assistance and rehabilitation activities in the Philippine provinces of Mindanao, the rest being earmarked for assistance to displaced persons in Sri Lanka and to refugees in Nepal.