Brussels, 18/05/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has decided to grant 13 million euro in humanitarian aid over the next twelve months for the vulnerable populations in the centre and south of Iraq. ECHO will allocate these resources to nine projects placing emphasis on health and the provision of drinking water, sanitation, especially intended for institutes for disabled children, orphans and the homeless. In particular, work will continue on renovating eight hospitals and seven primary health care centres, and centres for the treatment of tuberculosis will be rehabilitated, and a vaccination campaign against polio will be organized for 3.5 million children. In the social sector, one project aims to improve the conditions of some 700 women imprisoned in Baghdad and their young children.
A Commission press release stipulates that humanitarian aid earmarked this year for Iraq is one of the largest ever granted for the country's population, as it is up 50% on 2000. Since the end of the Gulf War in 1991, humanitarian and emergency aid from the Commission to Iraq has amounted to 273 million euro.