Democratic Republic of Congo: EU Commission provides further €5m in humanitarian aid

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The European Commission has allocated €5 million to assist the most vulnerable people affected by the recent conflict between the army and irregular militias in Katanga in the south east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The humanitarian consequences of the conflict have been grave. 300,000 people have been affected. Most villages and fields in central Katanga have been looted or destroyed. Half of the population have fled their homes, settling in camps, hiding in remote forest or marsh areas or seeking refuge in Zambia or Tanzania. The Commission is already funding relief operations in Katanga and throughout the DRC for €45 million this year. The aim of the additional funding is to provide direct assistance to the most vulnerable - displaced people in Katanga, returnees and host communities. In February, the Commission, together with the United Nations, launched an overall Humanitarian Aid Action Plan for the DRC bringing together all the key actors involved in helping to alleviate the suffering of the Congolese people.

Commissioner Louis Michel, responsible for Development and Humanitarian Aid, said: "We are committed to a peaceful, democratic and prosperous DRC. The successful completion of the transition process is vital for Congo but also for the stability of the Great Lakes region as a whole. We continue to help the Congolese people, at this moment of hope, to rise to the challenge. And we continue to help in tackling urgent humanitarian needs. The additional relief effort for the victims of the militia conflict in Katanga is the latest concrete example of Europe's solidarity with the Congolese people."

Aid measures covered by the Commission's decision are the distribution of food, seeds, tools and household kits, the provision of basic healthcare with specialised care for victims of sexual violence, resettlement assistance in general and support for the re-establishment of primary education.

European support beyond humanitarian aid

In addition to humanitarian aid, the European Union provided €149 million for the Congolese 'Electoral Process Support Programme', the highest amount of aid ever granted by the EU for elections in a non-member country. The EU is also supporting improved policing and security in the DRC.

The DRC also continues to offer an illustration of the Commission's policy of Linking Relief, Rehabilitation and Development (LRRD) as humanitarian aid programmes are passed on to national authorities with longer-term funding from development donors such as the European Development Fund (EDF).

Background

Since 2004, the Commission has provided humanitarian aid to vulnerable people in the Democratic Republic of Congo worth €128 million, including today's allocation.

Humanitarian projects are implemented by non-governmental relief organisations, the Red Cross/Red Crescent movement and specialized UN agencies. Funds are channelled through the Commission's Humanitarian Aid department, ECHO, under the responsibility of Commissioner Louis Michel. In order to maximise the impact of the humanitarian aid for the victims, the Commission has three ECHO support offices in the DRC, in Kinshasa, Goma and Bukavu. They closely follow developments in the humanitarian situation and monitor the use of the Commission's relief funds.

For further information:
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/index_en.htm

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• EU Council Conclusions on the Democratic Republic of Congo (13/11/2006)
• RDC: La Commission européenne félicite le peuple congolais pour son civisme et sa participation à l'élection présidentielle  (30/10/2006)
• Solana, le Haut Représentant de l'UE pour la PESC, salue le bon déroulement des élections en République Démocratique du Congo  (30/10/2006)
• Summary of EUHR Solana's address to EU Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee (4/10/2006)
• RDC: UE Commissaire Ferrero-Waldner sur les élections (3/8/2006)
• RDC: Déclaration de Commissaire européen Michel sur les élections  (31/7/2006)
• Background note on EU support to the DRC during the election process (12/6/2006)
• EU and UN launch Humanitarian Action Plan for Democratic Republic of Congo (13/2/2006)