The European Union has allocated another 205 million euros in humanitarian aid to Ukraine this Thursday, the European Commission announced, on the occasion of a visit to kyiv by the commissioner responsible for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarcic.
this support Increases total funding of EU humanitarian aid to Ukraine to €700 million in response to the Russian invasion, of which €13 million was dedicated to projects in neighboring Moldova.
The community executive also announced a contribution agreement worth seven million euros with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to provide mental health and psychosocial support to people fleeing Ukraine.
As for the new humanitarian aid of 205 million euros, the Commission justifies it with the fact that “humanitarian needs in Ukraine have risen to unprecedented levels” since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24, noting that, “according to the United Nations nations, up to 15.7 million people need humanitarian assistance.”
“For more than 100 days, we have witnessed unnecessary suffering and countless violations of international humanitarian law. In this moment of crisis, our duty is to be with the most vulnerable. We responded quickly, significantly increasing our presence in Ukraine. With this funding, our humanitarian partners are providing food, water, medical care, shelter, protection and monetary assistance,” said the European Commissioner for Crisis Management.
Janez Lenarcic, who will visit Ukraine on Thursday to meet with humanitarian organizations and Ukrainian government officials to help coordinate the EU’s response to the crisis on the ground, stressed the importance of “working closely with the Ukrainian authorities to ensure that assistance provided by EU Member States is in line with ever-evolving needs”.
He added that through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, the bloc has helped save lives of Ukrainians and that the 27 are “committed to supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
According to the community executive, the war in Ukraine has already forced more than 14 million people to leave their homes, of which almost seven million have crossed the border into neighboring countries, and it is estimated that more than eight million people are internally displaced.
On the other hand, around 13 million people are stranded in the affected areas, either because they do not want to leave or because they cannot due to military actions.
Regarding psychological support for Ukrainian citizens fleeing the war, the Commission indicates that the announced agreement “aims to support refugees who have suffered serious mental health problems and psychological trauma, provide first aid and psychological evaluation, as well as long-term psychosocial supportin their own languages.
The contract, funded by the “EU4Health” programme, covers actions to strengthen the capacities of Red Cross staff and volunteers, frontline first responders and other professionals in five EU countries (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Czech Republic) and last 24 months.
Source: Observadora
