The European Commission has allocated almost 130 million euros in humanitarian aid for Latin America and the Caribbean, to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable populations affected by major emergencies.
Among these, also funding for over 1 million euros recently approved, to respond to the devastating floods in Brazil, which in recent weeks have affected 90% of the Rio Grande do Sul territory. We read in a note from the EU institution.
A portion of the funds will be dedicated to strengthening disaster preparedness, as the region is exposed to increasingly frequent and intense natural risks due to climate change.
The announcement comes as Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarcic visits Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados. In Bridgetown, Barbados, the EU executive will sign a memorandum of understanding with several regional organizations and governments to increase cooperation in disaster risk management between the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean.
Brussels has allocated the largest package of funds to Venezuela, with almost 50 million euros, to help address the consequences of the prolonged humanitarian crisis in the country and its regional repercussions, while 5 million euros will go towards strengthening preparedness for natural disasters.
In Colombia, where the population continues to suffer the impact of armed conflicts, 11 million euros have been allocated for humanitarian aid. And here too, 5 million euros are intended to help the area prepare for disasters.
For the rest of South America, funding amounts to 22 million euros. This includes €14 million to respond to key humanitarian needs, in particular forced displacement which continues to be a major issue across the sub-region, including €2 million for the response to the internal crisis in Ecuador.
In March, 20 million euros had already been disbursed in humanitarian aid for Haiti, where the EU recently launched a humanitarian airlift. For the rest of the Caribbean, over one million euros will be allocated to humanitarian aid, in particular in response to migratory flows coming mainly from Venezuela, Cuba and Haiti.
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