Somalia to receive €10 million emergency EU humanitarian assistance

European Union has released  €28.7 million urgent assistance  to respond the humanitarian situation drastically deteriorating in a number of countries and regions, including Somalia.

€10 million of €28.7 million allocated to respond to humanitarian needs,  will go to humanitarian assistance in Somalia, for which the United Nations launched an urgent appeal last month.

“Humanitarian needs worldwide reached record levels last year. We are mobilising the last reserves of the Commission’s 2016 budget to help cover the most urgent needs, in particular in countries where the humanitarian response is underfunded. We will continue to support the most vulnerable people worldwide with EU aid in 2017,” said Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides.

The country is currently facing a severe and worsening drought that has left additional hundreds of thousands of people short of food and water, while five million Somalis – more than 40 per cent of the population – already lack access to sufficient food.

Among other countries that will be given the humanitarian assistance are  Afghanistan, Myanmar, Egypt and Libya.