Humanitarian aid: EU allocates €18 million in Algeria, Egypt and Libya

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.

The European Commission has announced its humanitarian funding for North Africa for 2022 amounting to €18 million. The funding will support some of the most vulnerable people in Algeria, Egypt and Libya.

Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič said: “The European Union is committed to supporting people in need no matter where they are. The new funding for humanitarian organisations in Algeria, Egypt and Libya will help vulnerable people affected by conflicts, instability or displacement. As their situation became increasingly difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic, we will help meet their basic needs and ensure they can access healthcare, education and other services.”

The funding is allocated as follows:

• €9 million in Algeria to help meet the most urgent humanitarian needs of vulnerable Sahrawi refugees. The funds will help them to access food, nutrition, improve access to safe water and basic healthcare as well as education.
• €5 million in Egypt will help the most vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers stranded in the poorest neighbourhoods of urban centres. The funding will enable safe and sustainable access to quality education, protection services and basic needs.
• €4 million in Libyawill help address humanitarian needs in health, education and protection for those most in need in urban centres and hard-to-reach locations.

EU funded humanitarian aid is channelled impartially to the affected populations only through with UN agencies, international agencies and NGOs.

Background

There are thousands of Sahrawi refugees stranded in isolated camps in Southwest Algeria with little access to resources, making humanitarian aid essential to their survival. The European Union has provided €277 million since 1993 to help vulnerable Sahrawis.

Egypt hosts refugees in some of the poorest neighbourhoods of its largest cities. They heavily rely on humanitarian assistance, and the COVID-19 socio-economic consequences are aggravating the needs of the most vulnerable households. The EU has provided almost €33 million since 2015 to help.

While the situation in Libya is improving, conflict-shattered economy and pandemic have exhausted the coping capacities of the most vulnerable, including migrants and internally displaced. Since the conflict in 2011, the EU has allocated over €88 million to help those in need.