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Greece + 1 more

Greece – End of Activation of the Emergency Support Instrument (DG ECHO) (ECHO Daily Flash of 13 February 2019)

  • Humanitarian operations implemented under the Emergency Support Instrument (ESI) will cease on 15 March 2019. The ESI was activated by the European Council on 16 March 2016 for three years to provide emergency support in response to the refugee and migration crisis within the EU.
  • Partners provided emergency support to asylum seekers, refugees and migrants, in coordination with the Greek authorities. The European Commission allocated a total of EUR 643.6 million to partners in Greece including UN agencies, the Red Cross/Crescent movement and NGOs.
  • The 'Emergency Support to Integration & Accommodation' (ESTIA) programme helped refugees and their families rent urban accommodation and benefit from cash assistance. The ESI also addressed humanitarian needs in temporary and permanent sites, providing shelter, primary health care, protection, improved water and hygiene conditions, formal and non-formal education.
  • The main activities funded by the ESI, including ESTIA, have been taken over by the Asylum Migration Integration Fund managed by DG HOME.
  • In March 2019, the European Commission will present a report to the European Council on the Emergency Support Regulation with recommendations for its future.