Brussels, 11/02/2003 (Agence Europe) - The Commission has decided to allocate EUR 5 million in humanitarian aid to Somalia, a country where a majority of the population (7 million people) live in dire poverty under the combined effect of drought, flood, anarchy and civil war, which have devastated the country for over ten years.
The funds, from the budget of ECHO (European Community's Humanitarian Office) will finance intervention in the health, water, sanitation and food safety sectors. In total, more than one million people are expected to either directly or indirectly benefit from the aid, to be administered by ECHO partners in the field (United Nations agencies, International Red Cross, and non-governmental organisations).
Over the past five years, ECHO has spent over EUR 25 million for Somalia.