EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides, announced additional €3 million in humanitarian aid to Nepal after witnessing in person the destruction caused by the earthquake during his mission last week. The new aid will go towards priority needs such as shelter, water and sanitation, logistics, health and food in the most vulnerable communities.
"I have witnessed the magnitude of the destruction and of the support that will be needed to recover from such a devastating earthquake. I reaffirmed the EU's tangible solidarity with the government and people of Nepal and with the heroic emergency actors working around the clock on the ground. This announced assistance will allow us to efficiently link our current emergency efforts with the longer term reconstruction phase" Commissioner Stylianides said.
In a joint action with UNICEF supported with the new funds, two flights with relief material such as hygiene and health kits and water purification material will reach Nepal this week. The first aircraft is planned to land in Kathmandu today.
The announcement of the new money allocation follows the full mobilisation of the European Commission's humanitarian and emergency response tools to help respond to the disaster.
The total of the European Commission's assistance, including humanitarian and development funds, amounts today to €22.6 million. This comes on top of bilateral assistance from EU Member States.
