EU steps up humanitarian aid to victims of displacement and floods in Afghanistan and Pakistan

Met dank overgenomen van , gepubliceerd op woensdag 13 augustus 2014.

European Commission

Press release

Brussels, 13 August 2014

The European Commission has released additional funding of €3 million for Afghanistan to help people affected by flooding and those seeking refuge from military operations in Pakistan, bringing our overall humanitarian aid for these two countries in 2014 to €76.5 million.

In addition, €5 million has been allocated for Pakistan for people displaced by the military operation against non-state actors in North Waziristan.

" Conflict and food insecurity keep millions of people in humanitarian need in Pakistan. In Afghanistan, a country which has been repeatedly weakened by conflict, insecurity and under-development, now severe flooding and a spill-over of the conflict in neighbouring Pakistan are adding to the burden. It is vital that we protect the most vulnerable, particular women, children and the elderly, by providing them with the protection and assistance they so badly need," said Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva, responsible for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response.

In Pakistan, military operations in June have caused a new wave of displacement from North Waziristan Agency to neighbouring districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province as well as across the border into Afghanistan. The additional funding will provide food, shelter, medicines, drinking water, as well as protection activities for the displaced. Support will also be given to those Pakistani families who are seeking refuge in Afghanistan and who have been relying on the generosity of local host communities or living in camps.

In addition to hosting Pakistani refugees, Afghanistan was also affected by serious floods and landslides in May. The new funding will contribute to relief efforts for vulnerable flood-affected families who lost their homes and livelihoods.

This increased amount in European Commission humanitarian assistance will be delivered through humanitarian partners such as UN agencies, the Red Cross/Red Crescent movement and Non-Governmental Organisations.

Background

North Waziristan Agency (NWA) is located on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. A new wave of displacement from North Waziristan Agency in Pakistan occurred in June following the launch of military operations by the Pakistan Army against armed non-state actors in North Waziristan. International humanitarian organisations have estimated that 500 000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from NWA are urgently in need of assistance.

The current wave of displacement in Pakistan adds to almost one million people who remain internally displaced due to conflict over several years, mainly in the Peshawar Valley. It is estimated that almost 50% of the people displaced live below the national poverty threshold.

In addition, Pakistan currently hosts some 1.6 million registered Afghan refugees. Pakistan is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. To help assist the most vulnerable groups affected by recurrent natural disasters and conflict-driven humanitarian crises, since 2009 the European Commission has provided over €440 million in relief assistance, disaster risk reduction, the Children of Peace initiative and other measures to build the resilience of those suffering the effects of disasters. This support is also used to address under-nutrition as an estimated 3.7 million children in Pakistan suffer from acute malnutrition.

In addition to those displaced within Pakistan, since June 2014, more than 112 000 people have been forced to flee from North Waziristan across the border into Afghanistan and are now refugees in the neighbouring Khost and Paktika provinces. Only half of the refugee families have received humanitarian aid.

In the first half of 2014, severe flooding and landslides primarily in the Northern Provinces of Afghanistan seriously affected over 150 000 people, creating significant humanitarian needs. The impact on homes, harvests and livelihoods has been disasters. Frequent natural disasters compound the effects of over three decades of conflict in Afghanistan.

Conflict and natural disasters continue to cause widespread displacement in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Both countries continue to face significant humanitarian challenges, which are exacerbated by insecurity, natural disasters, poverty and restricted access to basic services. Institutional capacity to respond to disasters is low, and mechanisms to mitigate risks and build resilience need to be strengthened.

For more information

The European Commission's humanitarian aid and civil protection:

http://ec.europa.eu/echo/index_en.htm

Commissioner Georgieva's website:

http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/georgieva/index_en.htm

Emergency Response Coordination Centre:

http://ec.europa.eu/echo/files/aid/countries/factsheets/thematic/ERC_en.pdf

Factsheet for Pakistan:

http://ec.europa.eu/echo/files/aid/countries/factsheets/pakistan_en.pdf

Factsheet for Afghanistan:

http://ec.europa.eu/echo/files/aid/countries/factsheets/afghanistan_en.pdf

Factsheet: EU Children of Peace for Pakistan: