Brussels, 27/07/2007 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has decided to allocate €10 million to the vulnerable populations affected by the crisis in Somalia. These populations have not only suffered from instability and conflict over the past 16 years but also from extreme weather patterns. The Commission's overall action plan for humanitarian aid to Somalia aims to benefit 1.5 million Somalis and will provide support for basic sectors such as health, nutrition, food security, water and sanitation. Assistance will be mainly targeted at central and southern areas of the country that have been badly affected by civil strife and extreme natural hazards. It will also be used to assist the inhabitants of the most vulnerable areas and for persons within the country, recently displaced due to the fighting in Mogadiscio and in the south of the country. All funds are channelled through the Commission's humanitarian aid department (ECHO) and will be used to support the funding of humanitarian programmes underway.
This humanitarian support comes in addition to the €4 million made available by the Commission in June 2007, after violent fighting in the Somali capital and serious epidemics. An additional envelope of €4 million is foreseen for food aid operations. (an)