The European Commission Thursday decided give an extra 40,5 million euros (58,7 million US dollar) in aid for two million vulnerable people in Burma, notably those affected by cyclone Nargis in May.
A total of 22 million euros is allocated to help cyclone-hit communities in and around the southwest Irrawaddy delta, where the catastrophe left 138.000 people dead or missing and devastated rice paddies, a commission statement said.
Around 2 million people are expected to benefit directly from the new aid, it added. European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid Louis Michel said Thursday that the EU has “progressively developed a very good cooperation with the authorities on humanitarian access in the Irrawaddy Delta in the wake of the Cyclone Nargis”.
The EU has also promised to continue advocating for similar cooperation and access to other parts of the country, he said.The humanitarian situation in Burma worsened in 2008 because of the devastating impact of Cyclone Nargis, and large increases in rice and fuel prices.
The European Commissions decision is in addition to the 17 million euros it released as emergency aid after the cyclone hit the south-east Asian country.
The European bloc will also provide 18,5 million euros for a program targeting “other highly vulnerable populations inside Burma, as well as refugees from Burma in Thailand,” the European Commission said.
The aid will be channeled through European NGOs, UN agencies, and the Red Cross.
Kilde: www.worldbank.org
