|
Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia, September 12, 2009 – The European Commission has
earmarked US$14million as part of its efforts to increase relief aid to
Ethiopia's vulnerable population, the organization’s chief humanitarian
aid Commissioner Karel De Gucht announced on Thursday.
The European Commission's financing decision for expanded humanitarian
aid to vulnerable people in Ethiopia will see the current aid to
Ethiopia's rise to29 million euros to aid nearly 14 million people in
dire need of food aid.
"The funds are channeled through the European Commission’s Humanitarian
Aid Department (ECHO) under the responsibility of Karel De Gucht,
Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid. This brings the Com
mission's total humanitarian support in 2009 to Ethiopia to 29 million
euros," a statement issued on Thursday said.
The Head of the European Commission Delegation to Ethiopia, Dino
Sinigallia, said: "Ethiopia faces growing humanitarian challenges which
are largely due to climate change. Poor rainfall has (led) to a series
of failed harvests across the country and has led to food insecurity.
''The new allocation of 10 euros million is for immediate humanitarian
food assistance countrywide. The European Commission is working closely
with the Ethiopian Government and our partners in the field to ensure
that this food assistance reaches the people most in need.'
ECHO has been providing humanitarian relief in Ethiopia since 2004. Over
115 million euros have been committed to projects run by ECHO partners.
These projects are implemented countrywide with a major focus on the
most affected areas of Tigray, Amhara, Somali Regional State, Southern
Oromiya and Afar regions.
European Commission-funded humanitarian projects are implemented by
non-governmental relief organizations, specialized UN agencies and the
Red Cross/Red Crescent movement. ECHO has a technical office in Addis
Ababa.
Its field experts closely follow developments in the humanitarian
situation and play an active role in local coordination of relief
efforts. They also monitor the use of the Commission's relief funds.
In 2008, The European Commission provided over 936 million euros for
humanitarian programmes in more than 70 countries worldwide.
Source: Afrique en lingne, September 11, 2009
|
|
