EU releases €1.5 billion for 2022 Humanitarian crises globally

 To help those most affected worldwide, the European Union Commission has adopted its initial annual humanitarian budget of €1.5 billion for 2022.

 This was contained in a release by Communication Division  European Union office in Abuja .

Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič said: “Humanitarian needs are at an all-time high and continue to grow. This is mostly due to conflicts but increasingly due to global challenges like climate change and COVID19. Our humanitarian funding will allow the EU to do its part and continue to save lives and cover the basic needs of affected populations.

” Next to responding to new and highly visible crises, the budget ensures that we do not detract from addressing existing, protracted or recurrent humanitarian crises, such as in Colombia or South Sudan or the situation of the Rohingya people,” the release said.

It said that humanitarian aid in 2022 will be allocated as follows:€469 million will be allocated to Sub-Saharan Africa to support those suffering from the food and nutrition crisis exacerbated by conflict in the Sahel (Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger); and those displaced by violence in the Central African Republic, the Lake Chad basin (Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria), South Sudan and Horn of Africa (Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Ethiopia). It will also address the needs of the people affected by long-term conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

 The release said   €351 million of EU humanitarian funding will be allocated for needs in the Middle East and North Africa to address the crisis in Syria as well as the needs of refugees in neighbouring countries in the Middle East, as well as the critical situation in Yemen.

 It continued, ”   €152 million will fund projects in Southeast Europe and the European Neighbourhood addressing crises in Ukraine, Western Balkans and the Caucasus, as well as the effects of the Syria crisis in Turkey.

” €188 million will continue to help the most vulnerable populations in Asia and Latin America. In Asia this includes the Afghanistan and Rohingya crises (Bangladesh and Myanamar). In Latin America, the EU will continue to provide help to those affected by the crises in Venezuela and Colombia, as well as in Haiti.

  ” The remaining €370 million will be used for unanticipated crises or sudden peaks in existing crises, as well as other operations.

“Funding will also help vulnerable populations in disaster-prone countries to prepare better for various natural hazards, such as floods, forest fires, earthquakes, and cyclones,” it said.

“10% of the funding across all regions will be allocated to education in emergencies to allow children and youth to continue their schooling,” the release added.

—– Chinaka Okeke is a journalist with MOC . He studied Mass Communication at Anambra State University , Uli and did his youth service at Ministry of Information , Culture and Tourism Bayelsa State where he engaged in reporting activities of the state as a journalist. Currently , He is currently running his masters degree in Mass Communication at Nasarawa State University, Keffi.
He joined the services of GUARDIAN NEWSPAPERS in 2012 as a Reporter where he covered activities of Embassies, international organisations, Insurance etc. He later joined The AUTHORITY NEWSPAPERS in 2015 where he rose through the rank of Foreign Affairs Editor.
During his sojourn in The AUTHORITY NEWSPAPERS, he had also covered the activities of Ministry of Mines and Steel Development , Ministries of Tourism , Ministries of Trade and Investment among others. With his experience in journalism over the years, he was able to explore various reporting and writing techniques such as feature writing, editing, investigation and editing, with over over 400 publications to his credit.
He has covered workshops and conferences, both in Nigeria and abroad.
He has served as the Financial Secretary , Diplomatic Correspondent Association of Nigeria (DICAN). He is a member Culture, Arts ,Tourism , Entertainment Writers Association (CATEWAA) and a member of Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ).