EU announces €77 million in humanitarian aid for the Horn of Africa for 2016
With the Horn of Africa continuing to face a multitude of crises from recurrent cycles ofconflict to natural disasters, affecting millions of people, the EU has announced €77million in humanitarian aid for the region in 2016.
The Horn of Africa region is hosting some 1.7 million refugees. More than half a millionlive in Kenya.
EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides,made the announcement during his visit to Kenya today, where he visited the Dadaabrefugee camp, the largest in the world, hosting over 350 000 people.
"Today I travelled to Dadaab, where the first Somali refugees found shelter from conflictand hunger 25 years ago. I witnessed the immense needs of families whose lives havebeen changed forever. These people rely on our humanitarian assistance. I was alsotouched by the hospitality shown by the Kenyan people. No country can cope alone withthe provision of essential services to so many refugees. We need to strengthen theresilience of both forcibly displaced populations and host communities"
Out of the €77 million announced today, €17 million will go towards life-saving andemergency aid for the most vulnerable in Kenya. This will include food, health care,water, sanitation and hygiene, shelter, protection and education in emergencies.
Background
A significant number of people in the Horn of Africa are affected either by forceddisplacement, or by food insecurity and malnutrition — or in many cases, both. The regionis also home to some 1.7 million refugees, mostly from South Sudan and Somalia.
The €77 million in EU humanitarian aid announced today for 2016 will help respond to themost pressing needs of the displaced populations, in the areas of nutrition, health, waterand sanitation, shelter and protection. It will also help improve disaster preparedness andresilience.
With €29 million, Somalia will be the main aid recipient, followed by Ethiopia (€25 million)and Kenya (€17 million).
Kenya is one of the main recipient countries for refugees in the region and in Africa. Ithosts close to 600 000 refugees. 183 000 of these have sought refuge in Kakuma,located in the northwest of the country. The majority come from neighbouring SouthSudan and Somalia. Refugees in Kenya predominantly depend on humanitarianassistance, as they are not allowed to work for a living.
In addition, over 1 million people, mostly in arid regions, are food insecure. The situationis expected to worsen following the extreme weather phenomenon 'El Niño' currentlyaffecting the region.
Last month, the EU announced €79 million in assistance for the Greater Horn of Africa,including Kenya, to help deal specifically with the consequences caused by El Niño.