Brussels, 08/04/2002 (Agence Europe) - 08/04/2002 (Agence Europe) - On Monday, the European Commission adopted an €8 million global plan for 2002 to help internally displaced persons in Colombia who have been forced to flee by the ongoing conflict. The aim is to guarantee the recipients minimum living conditions and help to make them self-sufficient. Assistance will be provided as near as possible to the communities of origin in order to encourage people to return and to prevent migration to marginal urban areas. The press release points out that in the next few months, some 125 000 people will benefit from emergency assistance provided via the Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO). In the short term emergency humanitarian relief will be provided for displaced persons immediately following displacement, followed by more sustained post-emergency assistance designed to improve their living conditions and promote social integration, the communiqué added. The main components of the aid operation will be: distributing food (family food parcels) and non-food items setting up community canteens for vulnerable groups among the displaced population (children, pregnant women), creating health brigades in inaccessible areas, distributing building materials, repairing drinking water supply systems, improving sanitation conditions and providing psychosocial assistance.
This decision brings the funding granted by the Commission as humanitarian aid for victims of the conflict in Colombia to €42 million since 1997.