Summary: June 3, 2005: The Commission allocates €12 million to victims of the Darfur conflict who have fled to Chad (Brussels)
FR - DE
The European Commission has released €12 million in humanitarian aid for the victims of the crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan, to alleviate the consequences of the population movements affecting Chad. This aid is to cover the immediate needs of the refugees, the host population and returnees. It will be channelled through the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO), under the responsibility of Louis Michel, the European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian
Aid.
Since the beginning of the crisis in February 2003, the political and humanitarian situation in Darfur has brought massive population displacements that have not been confined to Sudan. In 2004, fighting and attacks on civilians in Darfur drove a large number of Sudanese refugees into Chad. There are currently more than 213 000 Sudanese refugees in eleven camps spread around the Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti, Biltine and Ouaddai regions of Chad. Water and agricultural resources are scarce in these
three regions, which are quite unsuited to large population influxes.
The decision is intended to provide for the refugees' main needs in areas such as health, water and hygiene, food security, protection of the civilian population, education, shelter and basic necessities like cooking equipment, blankets and so forth. The decision also covers the most pressing needs of the host population directly affected by this influx.
The situation in Darfur and the scale of the humanitarian crisis are such that there is no prospect of a swift return to Sudan for the refugees. Current events in Sudan mean that there may yet be further waves of refugees.
The European Commission has donated a total of €213 million to the region since the beginning of the Darfur crisis, including aid to Sudanese refugees in Chad. €86 million has been channelled via ECHO, of which €72 million was for Darfur and €14 million for Chad.
Given conditions in the country, this cooperation strategy must also respond to basic needs at the local level.
The cooperation-strategy paper sets out a framework for the EU's contribution to Sudan, corresponding to an indicative amount of EUR 400 million, broken down as follows:
- EUR 127.5 million: 9th European Development Fund - allocation for new programmes;
- EUR 191 million: transfer to cover lost revenue from farm exports. These funds will be allocated to food security operations;
- EUR 16.5 million: programmes already decided but still to be implemented;
- EUR 43 million: 9th European Development Fund - contingencies, notably humanitarian needs;
- EUR 5-10 million annually: indicative budget allocations (not including humanitarian assistance).
The response strategy adopted by the Commission will focus on two primary sectors: food security and education. It will target in particular the resettlement of displaced persons, with an emphasis on capacity-building for good governance. The strategy may also cover demobilization, disarmament and reintegration operations, including mine clearance, the training of security forces and other actions under Article 11 of the Cotonou Agreement. It also concerns human rights, good governance and the
rule of law and provides direct support to the peace process, initiatives to consolidate peace and efforts to strengthen civil society and the healthcare sector.
Immediately following the signing of the strategy paper and of the national indicative programme, the Commission and Sudanese government must study and approve a memorandum of understanding. This will take place in cooperation with the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement/government of South Sudan, the goal being to reflect the country's new institutional set-up in the wake of the Naivasha Agreement and the scenario planned for the post-conflict period.
Once the strategy paper has been signed, a EUR 50 million programme will be quickly launched to bring the benefits of peace as rapidly as possible to the North as well as the South (EUR 25 million for each region). The programme's core aim is to organize projects bringing together the country's communities that will be implemented in partnership with local NGOs and non-state actors.
For further information see:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/echo/field/chad/index_fr.htm and http://europa.eu.int/comm/echo/index_en.htm
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