MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd April, 2021) The European Union on Friday announced a 149 million euro (nearly $180 million) humanitarian assistance package for the Greater Horn of Africa region.
The region includes such countries as Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, South Sudan, and Tanzania.
"As humanitarian needs increase in the Horn of Africa, the Commission has announced today new funding of ��149 million in aid for the wider region in 2021," the EU's executive body said in a statement.
According to Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic, over the past year the region has been under the growing humanitarian pressure from various issues, such as internal conflicts, displacement, and "the so-called triple threat of desert locust infestation, the impact of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic."
In particular, the EU pledge includes 500,000 Euros of funding for Djibouti, 14 million euros for Kenya, 42.5 million euros for Somalia, 52 million euros for Sudan, and 32 million euros for Uganda. Besides, 8 million euros of the package are aimed at fighting "Desert Locust infestation."
Notably, desert locust is believed to be the most destructive migratory pest in the world. According to the commission, citing the UN-backed Food and Agriculture Organization, 3.3 million people in Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, and Ethiopia are under threat of food insecurity due to the pest.
The bloc recalled that it has already allocated 53.7 million euros for Ethiopia and 43.5 million euros for South Sudan. In addition, some 30 million euros of the total sum are reserved for child education initiatives.
According to the statement, there are some 11.5 million displaced people in the region, including over 4 million refugees. Besides, over 13.4 million people in Sudan and some 5.4 million people in Uganda are in need of humanitarian assistance.
