European Commission calls on Member States and Parliament to release further €79 million in humanitarian aid for Iraq

The European Commission met today on the international situation relating to Iraq. Particular attention was paid to the humanitarian aspects of the crisis. In this regard, the Commission decided to make an immediate request to the budgetary authority (Council of Ministers and European Parliament) to release €79 million from the emergency budget reserve. Combined with the €21 million announced previously (see IP/03/416 of 20 March), the immediate response to the impending humanitarian crisis of the Commission now totals €100 million.