Ukraine: EU announces additional 205M euro humanitarian aid

The European Union today is allocating a further 205 million euro in humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, the European Commission said on June 9.

In the light of the soaring humanitarian needs in Ukraine, European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, is visiting Ukraine on June 9 to meet humanitarian organisations and high-level Ukrainian government officials to help co-ordinate the EU’s crisis response on the ground, the Commission said.

The Commission said that the additional sum brings total EU humanitarian aid funding and the value of in-kind assistance to more than 700 million euro in response to Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, of which 13 million euro is dedicated to projects in neighbouring Moldova.

In a separate statement, the European Commission said that it had signed a contribution agreement with a value of seven million euro with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to provide mental health and psycho-social support to people fleeing Ukraine.

The agreement aims to support refugees who have experienced major mental health issues and psychological trauma by providing psychological first aid and assessment, as well as longer-term mental health and psychosocial support, in their own languages. 

The contract, financed by the EU4Health programme, covers action to strengthen the capacities of Red Cross staff and volunteers, first line responders and other professionals in five EU countries (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, the Czech Republic) and will run for 24 months, the Commission said.

In a further statement on June 9, the European Commission said that it had today proposed a regulation allowing for temporary improved market access for the remaining seven products from Moldova which are still subject to tariff rate quotas when entering the EU.

“This is a demonstration of EU’s solidarity designed to help Moldova deal with the loss of its main markets and transit hubs for these key agricultural products resulting from Russia’s unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine,” the Commission said.

(Photo: EC Audiovisual Service)

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