The European Commission has adopted its humanitarian budget for 2021 on Tuesday, which will amount to 1,400 million euros, which means a 60 percent increase compared to last year’s budget.

After a year in which humanitarian needs have worsened due to the consequences of the coronavirus and the effect of climate change, Brussels has decided to increase the budget compared to last year, when the humanitarian budget stood at 900 million, although the crisis caused by the pandemic led to the mobilization of many extraordinary funds.

“Humanitarian needs are growing globally and we need a corresponding budget. This increase will allow the EU to continue playing a role as a global leader in the response to emergencies and crises”, defended the Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarcic.

Africa will once again be the continent that concentrates most of the Commission’s humanitarian funds during this course, becoming the main priority for Brussels.

In 2021, 505 million euros will be allocated to assist those affected by long-lasting crises such as populations suffering from violence in the Lake Chad area, the nutrition crisis in the Sahel and those displaced from armed conflicts such as those in South Sudan, Central African Republic and the Horn of Africa.

According to the budget detailed by the European Executive, another 385 million will go to the Middle East region and Turkey, in the case of refugees from the Syrian war or the critical situation in Yemen.

For the crises in South America and Asia 180 million are reserved in humanitarian assistance. This encompasses the situation in Venezuela and Colombia, but also aid to the displaced in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Burma.

When it comes to conflicts in the European neighborhood, the EU will contribute 28 million to assistance to people affected by crises in Ukraine, the Western Balkans and the Caucasus. The remaining 300 million of the budget will be used for humanitarian assistance in unforeseen situations or to reinforce aid in the event of a worsening crisis.

Source: dpa

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