Brussels, 04/03/2004 (Agence Europe) - Reacting to the magnitude of the crisis in Haiti where a state of emergency has just been declared, the European Commission immediately made emergency humanitarian aid of 1.8 million EUR available, from the Echo (humanitarian aid office of the Community) budget. Most of the money (1.5 million EU) will be used for the initial support to emergency healthcare, as most hospitals and clinics have suspended their activities following the destruction of equipment and the desertion of medial staff fleeing the violence. The rest will help humanitarian staff to ensure better protection of patients in hospitals, as some of them have been kidnapped, in violation of the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law.