Brussels, 26/02/2007 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has allocated €2 million in emergency humanitarian aid to the victims of cyclone Favio in Mozambique. The funding, provided by ECHO, the Commission's humanitarian aid department, will be used to provide basic assistance to cyclone victims who, in the initial phase, need access to clean water, proper sanitation and hygiene products to prevent the spread of disease, along with shelter, emergency medical care and essential household items. The aid will be channelled through ECHO's partners on the ground - UN agencies, NGOs, the Red Cross. It is initial aid granted under the emergency procedure that allows funding to be released within 72 hours. A team of Commission humanitarian experts has arrived in Vilanculos to assess needs and coordinate assistance with partner organisations. On 26 February, an ECHO Flight aeroplane, usually based in the Democratic Republic of Congo, was dispatched by the Commission to carry Red Cross and UN emergency aid relief supplies to the stricken zone. The EU provided €2 million last week to help flood victims in Mozambique, which has now been hit by two natural disasters one after the other. (an)