It is our
moral duty to help those in need whose lives and homes are being destroyed or
severely threatened by Hurricane Irma, according to Christos Stylianides, the
European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management.
“We stand in full solidarity with all those in
the Caribbean and in the USA during and after the storm. For as long as it
takes. Last week we mobilised our emergency response tools and our 24/7
Emergency Response Coordination Centre has been in continuous coordination with
our EU Member States on any assistance required,” said Stylianides in a
statement.
“Today
additional EU funding is on its way. We have now released an initial amount of
humanitarian assistance of €2m for the most affected islands in the Caribbean,”
he added. “This will help support key sectors such as water and sanitation,
health, waste management and logistics.”
The
Commissioner also said that further EU funding for reconstruction efforts is
available in terms of longer term assistance.
“This new
support comes on top of our EU Copernicus satellite support, which has been
providing essential mapping services since last week.”
Meanwhile,
EU humanitarian experts deployed across the region continue to help the local
authorities and coordinate aid deliveries.
“Let me make it clear that any country in the
region can request our help through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. We stand
ready to provide any further assistance to the affected countries.”
https://www.neweurope.eu/article/eu-assistance-mobilised-hurricane-hit-islands/