EU To Give $195 Million In Humanitarian Aid To West, Central Africa

EU to Give $195 Million in Humanitarian Aid to West, Central Africa

The EU will provide 175 million ($195 million) in humanitarian aid to Central and West African countries in 2022 to help with food insecurity, natural disasters, climate change and COVID-19, the European Commission said on Thursday

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th January, 2022) The EU will provide 175 million ($195 million) in humanitarian aid to Central and West African countries in 2022 to help with food insecurity, natural disasters, climate change and COVID-19, the European Commission said on Thursday.

"The EU is reaffirming its solidarity with vulnerable people in countries in West and Central Africa through a humanitarian budget of 175 million in 2022," the commission said in a statement.

The region's humanitarian needs have been compounded by "an unprecedented food crisis, natural disasters, climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic," Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic was quoted as saying.

The humanitarian funding will be delivered to eight countries, according to the statement. Burkina Faso, whose military recently seized power, will receive 23.5 million euros. The Central African Republic, which has been struggling to overcome internal divisions for over a decade, will receive 17 million euros. Mali, which has seen two military coups in the past two years, will receive 25 million euros. Cameroon will receive 16 million euros, Chad 26.5 million, Mauritania 8.5 million, Niger 24 million, Nigeria 34 million.

The European Commission will also provide 100 million Euros to support a vaccination effort in Africa, with at least 25 million of this sum earmarked for West and Central Africa.

Last year, the EU gave more than 265 million euros to humanitarian initiatives in the region. Some of the funding helped people suffering from food insecurity, which is especially dire in conflict-torn areas.