IP/00/1089
Brussels, 29 September 2000 -
Following the catastrophic floods in December 1999 tThe Commission had
set up an important emergency aid scheme (worth € 7.15 Mio) to the victims
following the floods in 1999. Today On September 28th, the Commission has
adopted an long term programme intervention plan worth € 30 Million,
aimed at the support for Venezuela in the for reconstruction field as well
as natural risk prevention on the Caribbean Coast.
The Commission has adopted on 28th September a Working Document concerning a support programme in favour of the Venezuelan regions touched by the catastrophic floods in December 1999, which caused tens of thousands of victims. In this document, drafted submitted following the Council's request, the Commission draws several conclusions as to the catastrophe's cause and proposes an action programme to be implemented from 2001 following its solidarity efforts towards this country.
The Commission took a number of initiatives following the catastrophe worth € 7.15 Million. Now, the Commission proposes Thea programme amounts to support worth € 30 Million, and consists of which is articulated in two components:
a) A reconstruction support component in the State of Vargas, estimated at € 10 Million. It aims at taking over certain initiatives already taken by ECHO and/or Member States bilateral co-operation programmes in order to provide a link from urgency measures, to rehabilitation and development programmes.
b) A prevention component, estimated at € 20 Million, aimed at the definition and the implementation of natural risk management and rapid alert plans on the States of Falcón, Miranda and Yaracuy. The actions foreseen will focus on the institutional re-enforcement of decentralised administrations and they also foresee know-how transfer in the field of land-use planning policy and response to disasters.