The European Union (EU) announced that it made a new contribution, €75 millionin concept of humanitarian aid for Venezuelan refugees and migrantswithin the framework of the international conference in his support that concludes this Friday in Brussels.
The European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarcic, announced at a press conference the amount coming from the community budget, but did not want to advance what final collection figure is expected at the end of the conference today.
“Commitments are not a required component to participate in this conference. For us, the most important thing was to maintain the visibility of this crisis, to show that we have not forgotten the humanitarian needs of Venezuelan refugees and migrants.”he commented.
With a crisis like the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine on European soil, Lenarcic said he felt “proud” that the EU has “maintained its focus as a global donor”.
“We have not neglected any other humanitarian crisis because of the humanitarian crisis on our own continent. Instead, we have continued to play the role of a global humanitarian donor.” said.
The commissioner added that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine”has directly contributed to increased humanitarian needs around the world, and this poses a challenge for donors”.
Funding committed by the EU will help people in need in Venezuela and communities in neighboring countries hosting migrants and refugeesand will focus on food assistance, health, accommodation, protection, education and legal assistance, among other areas.
For his part, the Canadian Minister of International Development, Harjit Sajjan, announced at the same press conference a contribution of 58.55 million Canadian dollars (40.12 million euros) to meet humanitarian needs and support the long-term integration of Venezuelan refugees and migrants into the communities that host them.
The conference has been organized in close collaboration with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), as well as the Regional Interagency Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela (R4V). and major host countries and partners.
The event brings together representatives of neighboring countries that host Venezuelan migrants and refugeesEU Member States and other donor countries, international and local organizations and the private sector, in order to address the humanitarian situation in Venezuela and the region and renew support for 2023 and following years, the European Commission indicated in a release.
Since 2016, the European Union has allocated almost 400 million euros to the crisis in Venezuela as emergency humanitarian aid for Venezuelans in need within the country and those sheltered in neighboring countries.
*With information from EFE*
