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Ethiopia + 6 more

Government approves 5 million euros from the Foreign Disaster Aid Fund to ease humanitarian suffering in Ethiopia, South Sudan and Tunisia

Despite significant international support, there is still no end in sight for the humanitarian crisis in eastern Africa. This is creating strong migration pressure in the African Mediterranean countries. As a result, the Austrian government is providing 5 million euros from the Foreign Ministry’s Foreign Disaster Aid Fund for Disasters Abroad (AKF) to help ease the suffering of people in Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Tunisia.

"Africa is a continent full of opportunities, which we want to utilise and develop in the context of a strong partnership between Africa and Europe. Strengthening this partnership has also been the goal of the two-day EU summit in Brussels yesterday and today. Europe is directly affected by the developments in Africa, and it has a geostrategic interest in the security and stability of its neighbouring continent. I am pleased that the Austrian government is providing a total of 5 million euros from the AKF for humanitarian aid in Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Tunisia, thereby making a contribution to improving the situation on the ground,"

said Chancellor Karl Nehammer.

The conflict in the northern region of Tigray has led to further serious worsening of the humanitarian situation in Ethiopia. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced and are refugees, and they lack food and medicine. Austria has been supporting Ethiopia as a priority country of the Austrian Development Cooperation for nearly 30 years – and now once again, people in the country can count on aid from Austria.

The situation in neighbouring South Sudan is similarly dramatic; the nation is also experiencing serious conflicts, and last received just under a million euros in aid from Austria in December 2021. 1.7 million people have been internally displaced, and at least half of them are cut off from access to vital goods like food and water. Flooding has caused the spread of disease and has pushed the fragile healthcare system to its limits.

These as well as other conflict and crisis hot spots in North and East Africa have created significant migration pressure in Tunisia on the African Mediterranean coast – in 2021, the country once again took tens of thousands of refugees from Libya, but also from Sudan and Chad. More than half of the refugees are women and girls who urgently need food, medical care, and psychosocial support.

"Europe’s fate is closely tied to the future of Africa. Austria’s humanitarian aid in Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Tunisia sends a signal of solidarity and provides important support for people in need on our neighbouring continent. Austria is thus contributing to the important work of international organisations like the ICRC and the UNHCR,"

explained Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler.

Of the 5 million euros, 2 million will go to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the World Food Programme (WFP) in Ethiopia; 1 million will go to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) in South Sudan; and another 1 million each to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Tunisia.

"For years, these countries have been affected by natural disasters, famine, armed conflicts, and refugee movements. The humanitarian situation is catastrophic, and the pandemic has only made the situation worse. Particularly in the Horn of Africa, there is a risk of conflagration if the international community is unable to stabilise the situation in Ethiopia,"

said Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg.

The federal government’s decision was made during the summit meeting between the EU and the African Union, which brought together government leaders from Africa and Europe in Brussels yesterday and today in order to establish shared priorities for the future.

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