07/03/2007 (Agence Europe) - The European Union - the Commission and the member states - is the largest donor to the United Nations refugee agency, the UNHCR. In 2006, the EU contributed $470 million to the UNHCR, with the United States as the second largest donor ($329.3 million), followed by Japan ($75.1 million). The Commission alone gave €65 million (almost $80 million). “This is a clear sign of Europe's commitment to humanitarian action in general and to the welfare of refugees in particular,” said Judith Kumin UNHCR representative to the EU. The UNHCR says it will need $1.3 billion (almost €1 billion) in 2007 to assist refugees and displaced persons throughout the world. The largest UNHCR programmes this year are the emergency aid for refugees from Darfur in Chad ($69.3 million) and support for the hundreds of thousands of refugees and displaced victims of the war in Iraq ($59.7 million). (bc)