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The European Commission (EC) has allocated 7 million euros (nearly US $6 million) to provide humanitarian aid for Eritrean victims of the border war between Eritrea and Ethiopia, a press release said on Tuesday. The EU said that even though the conflict had ended in May 2000, “the consequences can still be felt in different parts of the country”. In March 2001, humanitarian agencies estimated the total number of displaced Eritreans at 300,000. Although many had since returned to their places of origin, some 50,000 of the displaced remained in camps.
The EC Humanitarian Office (ECHO) said the funds would mainly support programmes in non-food sectors, including health, water and nutrition. Support would also be given to protection activities, food supply in the Temporary Security Zone (TSZ), coordination mechanisms, and in assistance to returnees from Sudan, the press release said. “ECHO will contribute funds to the mine-awareness campaign and for the identification of minefields.” It said funds would also be allocated to assist the drought- and war-affected populations in Anseba, Debub and Gash Barka by establishing nutritional monitoring systems and to “provide a quick response in case the situation should deteriorate”.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
