EU offers $79m to Chad, Sudan
2007-03-14 22:23
Brussels - The European Commission announced on Wednesday $79m in humanitarian aid to vulnerable people in Sudan and Chad affected by the Darfur crisis.
"The additional humanitarian aid Europeans have mobilised is badly needed by millions of suffering people who bear the brunt of the violence in Darfur and beyond," said EU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Louis Michel.
A total of €45m is allocated for the most vulnerable populations in Sudan, in particular in Darfur and south Sudan.
The other €15m is earmarked for assisting "refugees, displaced people and vulnerable resident communities in the east and the south" of Chad.
The humanitarian crisis was sparked by the conflict in Sudan's western region of Darfur, which erupted nearly four years ago, has left at least 200 000 people dead and about two million displaced, according to UN figures.
The conflict has spilled over into neighbouring Chad as well as the Central African Republic (CAR).
Displaced people
The money is added to a €50m food aid package announced earlier for the two countries in 2007.
With the additional €60m, the commission aims to enhance the protection of civilians and provide basic life-saving assistance, including water supplies, treatment for malnourished children, emergency drug kits, mobile clinics, measures to tackle cholera, hygiene products and shelter.
Beyond the Darfur crisis, the global plans for Sudan and Chad cover the humanitarian needs of hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people in South Sudan, displaced people throughout the country and about 48 000 refugees from the CAR living in camps in southern Chad.
The UN humanitarian affairs agency said on Wednesday that the number of people displaced by the conflict in Darfur stands at two million.
Some estimates had put the number of internally-displaced people at close to 2.5 million.
- SAPA