EU allocates €54.5 million to Africa's Great Lakes region

The EU has announced new funding of €54.5 million in humanitarian aid. This life-saving assistance will be devoted to the most vulnerable people affected by human-made or natural disasters, epidemics, and displacement in the Great Lakes region of Africa. The aid will address the needs of the most vulnerable in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Republic of Congo, and Burundi, and will support Burundian refugees in the DRC, Rwanda, and Tanzania.

Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, said: “Many people in the Great Lakes region face conflict and violence, natural disasters, as well as recurrent outbreaks of epidemics such as cholera, measles, and Ebola – a threat that recently re-emerged in the region. COVID-19 and its health and socioeconomic implications further exacerbate the humanitarian situation. The magnitude of the humanitarian crisis, especially in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is very worrying. The EU’s assistance will be used to provide food, health and protection assistance, enhance emergency and disaster preparedness, and increase access to education for those displaced.”

Out of the €54.5 million, over 80% of the funds will go to the humanitarian response in the DRC – €44 million, including €4.5 million for education in emergencies and €1.5 million for disaster preparedness. €1.5 million is assigned to disaster preparedness in the Republic of Congo. €9 million is allocated to Burundi and the regional response to Burundian refugees, including €1 million each for disaster preparedness and education in emergencies.