Kurz: Austria responds to dramatic humanitarian crisis in the Central African Republic / Foreign Minister Kurz announces humanitarian relief funds donation of 500,000 euros for Central African Republic

VIENNA, Austria, January 16, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Austria is making a solidary contribution for alleviating the dramatic humanitarian crisis in the Central African Republic. "We are providing € 500,000 emergency relief funds from the Austrian Foreign Disaster Relief Fund in response to the aggravating humanitarian crisis for helping the 2.2 million people in need", Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said on 15 January after the session of the Ministerial Council.

He explained that the funds will be made available to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to provide emergency care to civilians and supply them with food and material for makeshift shelters. In addition, the relief programme of the ICRC focuses on supporting self-help by providing agricultural implements, on medical aid and ensuring access to drinking water.

The humanitarian crisis in the Central African Republic is hitting a country that heads the European Commission's Vulnerability and Crisis Index. The Index lists the countries whose governmental and social structures have collapsed and that are hit the hardest by lasting humanitarian distress. According to data of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the number of internally displaced persons amounted to 935,000 in early January 2014; tens of thousands have sought refuge in neighbouring countries. 2.2 million people are in need of humanitarian aid.