Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
License needed for work use Register

World Video | Defence | Foreign Affairs | Natural Events | Trade | NZ in World News | NZ National News Video | NZ Regional News | Search

 

EU Maintains Its Humanitarian Commitment To Burma


Burma/Myanmar: Commission maintains its humanitarian commitment with EUR 18 million in new relief funding

The European Commission has allocated a further €18 million to address the basic humanitarian needs of vulnerable people in Burma/Myanmar during 2008. The focus will be on victims of the long-running crisis living in the country's frontier areas and refugees located in camps just across the border in Thailand.

Around 1.2 million people are expected to benefit directly from this support. The funds will be managed by the Commission's Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO), under the responsibility of Commissioner Louis Michel, and will be channelled through operational partners: European NGOs, United Nations agencies and the Red Cross.

"Recent events suggest that there is no immediate end in sight for the country's hard-pressed population", said Louis Michel. "More than ever, humanitarian aid, delivered by organisations like the International Red Cross (ICRC) and NGOs is needed to save lives, reduce suffering and protect vulnerable people."

The main beneficiaries of Commission-supported relief programmes in Burma/Myanmar will be more than a million highly vulnerable rural people living in remote frontier areas, who have no access to basic social services (Rakhine, Shan, Mon and Kayin states, Sagaing and Thanintaryi divisions). The other main target group is around 138,000 Burmese refugees living in camps in Thailand. These refugees, with no access to work outside the camps, are almost entirely dependent on external assistance.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

For beneficiaries inside Burma/Myanmar, the funding will include:

* the rehabilitation or installation of basic water and sanitation systems, and actions to promote hygiene;

* continued support for the fight against malaria;

* mobile supplementary feeding centres serving around 10,000 children and more than 2,000 women who are eitherpregnant, breastfeeding or caring for young children. Special therapeutic feeding will also be provided for children and women suffering from acute malnutrition;

* efforts to ensure compliance with the international humanitarian rules that are designed to protect civilians and non-combatants in conflict situations.

For the refugees in Thailand, the funds will cover:

* food and cooking fuel for camp residents;

* measures to tackle serious disease such as respiratory infections and diarrhoea;

* supplementary feeding for children and mothers;

* action to improve reproductive and child health.

The Commission has been funding relief programmes for victims of the crisis in Burma/Myanmar since 1994. Since 2000, humanitarian aid worth almost €100 million has been provided. In October 2005 an ECHO office was opened in Yangon to facilitate the delivery of European humanitarian aid in Burma/Myanmar.


ENDS

Latest World News | Top World News | World Digest | Archives | RSS

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
World Headlines

 
UN News: Aid Access Is Key Priority

Among the key issues facing diplomats is securing the release of a reported 199 Israeli hostages, seized during the Hamas raid. “History is watching,” says Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths. “This war was started by taking those hostages. Of course, there's a history between Palestinian people and the Israeli people, and I'm not denying any of that. But that act alone lit a fire, which can only be put out with the release of those hostages.” More

Save The Children: Four Earthquakes In a Week Leave Thousands Homeless

Families in western Afghanistan are reeling after a fourth earthquake hit Herat Province, crumbling buildings and forcing people to flee once again, with thousands now living in tents exposed to fierce winds and dust storms. The latest 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit 30 km outside of Herat on Sunday, shattering communities still reeling from strong and shallow aftershocks. More

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.