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News Releases
No. 92/06
October 20, 2006
EU PROVIDES 30 MILLION EUROS IN HUMANITARIAN AID TO LEBANON
The European Commission provided €30 million in humanitarian aid
to Lebanon today to help victims of the fighting return home and rebuild their
lives. In total, the European Commission has now provided €50 million in
humanitarian aid following the end of hostilities.
This €30 million grant will smooth the transition to the country’s rebuilding
stage by re-launching economic activity for people affected by the conflict and
giving them the means to improve their living conditions. Six priority areas
have been identified:
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Water and sanitation: families’ access to drinking water will
be restored, especially by rehabilitating water towers and distributing
household water tanks.
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Shelter: people returning to their home regions will be
provided with shelters, and lightly-damaged homes with access to running water
and electricity will be repaired. Social amenities, including hospitals and
schools, will be rehabilitated.
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Food and household goods: the neediest families will receive
food aid and household goods (hygiene kits, kitchen equipment, mattresses,
etc.).
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Activities generating income: people in hardship, who have no
income and face serious poverty, will receive aid to help them resume an
economic activity.
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Healthcare and psycho-social counseling: medical care and
equipment will be provided, especially for the most vulnerable, including
people injured in the fighting, disabled people and people with chronic
illnesses. Psycho-social counseling will also be offered where identified as
necessary.
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Mine clearance: mine-awareness schemes will be carried out so
that people can return to their home region and resume their activities
safely. Where necessary, mines will be cleared in high-risk areas.
The grant will also fund broader coordination of aid activities,
including close coordination with the Lebanese authorities.
The funds are being channeled through the Commission’s Directorate General for
Humanitarian Aid (ECHO), which reports to Development and Humanitarian Aid
Commissioner
Louis Michel.
Relief activities will be implemented by ECHO’s operational partners on the
ground, including NGOs, UN agencies and the Red Cross/Red Crescent movement. The
ECHO office, which was set up at the premises of the Beirut delegation when the
fighting broke out, will be responsible for assessing needs, coordinating
projects and monitoring relief operations. This emergency rehabilitation stage
is expected to last until the summer. It will gradually give way to a rebuilding
stage, which will be the responsibility of other departments of the European
Commission.
For further information on the action plan please see:
http://www.eurunion.org/newsweb/HotTopics/mideast.htm#lebanon .
Further Contact Information
Press and Public Diplomacy
Delegation of the European Commission
2300 M Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037
http://www.eurunion.org/PressRoom
Tel: 202-862-9552
Fax: 202-429-1766
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