EU unlocks €710mil aid for crisis-hit communities

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen announced on Saturday that the European Union will release €710 million in aid to help communities affected by crises, natural disasters, conflicts, and epidemics. Much of the funding will be directed towards Africa, where conflicts, extreme weather, and rising living costs are disrupting lives worldwide. The package aims to support displaced communities across Africa, as well as those welcoming them.

The EU will allocate €380 million to Sub-Saharan Africa to protect vulnerable migrants, support voluntary return and reintegration, strengthen migration governance, and respond to forced displacement. Additionally, €252 million from the EU's emergency aid reserve will be used to aid communities hit by conflict, forced displacement, epidemics, and natural catastrophes. This includes funds for people in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Palestinian territories, Lebanon, and Ukraine to prepare for the upcoming winter.

Smaller sums will be allocated to promote stability in the crisis-hit Great Lakes region and to assist the Democratic Republic of Congo in combating the Ebola outbreak in the eastern part of the country.