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Finland grants over EUR 46 million in aid to the world’s humanitarian crises

Press Release 83/2015 16 March 2015

Finland will donate EUR 46.4 million in humanitarian aid to the world’s worst crisis areas. The aid, granted by a decision of Minister for International Development Sirpa Paatero on 13 March, will be directed to acute emergency situations in Syria and neighbouring areas, South Sudan, the Central African Republic and Ukraine. Efforts will also be made to alleviate human suffering in countries where protracted crisis situations exist, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan and Yemen. Finland’s aid will be given via UN agencies and Finnish organisations.

“Humanitarian needs are at a record high, and humanitarian aid workers have to work under pressure in the most demanding conditions. Finland considers it important to respond to acute and protracted needs in terms of human protection, health, education and food. Humanitarian aid organisations provide assistance efficiently during conflicts even in the most difficult circumstances, such as in Syria, South Sudan, Iraq and the Central African Republic,” says Minister Paatero.

Most aid, EUR 10 million via various organisations, will be given to Syria and its neighbouring countries affected by the refugee crisis. In Syria, more than 12 million people are in need of emergency assistance, and more than 3.7 million Syrians have fled to neighbouring countries.

The serious humanitarian crisis caused by conflict in South Sudan continues. Eruptions of violence and lack of food have forced nearly two million people to move within the country or leave as refugees to neighbouring countries Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda. Finland’s aid, amounting to EUR 6.4 million, will be used to supply food, health services and protection for those in extreme need.

In Yemen, the unstable security situation and political disorder have increased the need for humanitarian aid. More than half of the population, i.e. nearly 16 million people, are in need of humanitarian aid. More than 10 million of them are suffering food shortages. Finland’s aid, amounting to EUR 3 million, will be used to provide health services and supply food to those in need.

The aid provided by Finland is largely based on the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund, which this year amounts to EUR 14.6 billion. The Central Emergency Response Fund applies to 12 countries, but including the regional impacts of crises it covers up to 22 countries. The crisis in Syrian accounts for almost half of the sum. The response fund for the Sahel region is EUR 1.8 billion, covering nine countries. Throughout the world, nearly 80 million people are currently in need of humanitarian aid. Aid will be granted from Finland’s development cooperation humanitarian aid appropriations.

In terms of Finnish organisations, aid will be provided via the Finnish Red Cross, Finn Church Aid, Fida International, World Vision Finland and Save the Children. In addition to bilateral activity, the Finnish Red Cross channels aid to the International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies IFRC.

Inquiries: Juha Peltonen, Press Attaché to Minister Paatero, tel. +358 50 554 6426, and Anna Gebremedhin, Head of Unit for Humanitarian Assistance, tel. +358 40 583 0149, firstname.lastname@formin.fi

Humanitarian aid grant, spring 2015

For country- and region-specific operations, a total of EUR 46.4 million, of which EUR 26.3 million to Africa, EUR 15.8 million to the Middle East, EUR 3.3 million to Asia and EUR 1 million to Europe. Middle East, total EUR 15.8 million Syria crisis EUR 10 million: UNHCR EUR 3 million, regional

WFP EUR 1 million

UNICEF EUR 1 million

WHO EUR 1 million

SPR/ICRC EUR 2 million

SPR EUR 1 million, Jordan

Finn Church Aid EUR 500,000, Jordan

Save the Children EUR 500,000, Iraq

Yemen EUR 3 million

WFP EUR 2 million

WHO EUR 1 million

Iraq EUR 1.8 million

UNICEF EUR 1 million

SPR/ICRC EUR 800,000

Palestinian Territories EUR 1 million, UNRWA

West Africa, total EUR 3.75 million Sahel EUR 2 million (Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Senegal, Gambia)

FAO EUR 1 million

WFP EUR 1 million

Chad EUR 400,000 SPR/IFRC

Ebola EUR 1.35 million

SPR/IFRC EUR 1 million (aid granted 26 January 2015), Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea

Finn Church Aid EUR 350,000, Sierra Leone and Liberia

Horn of Africa, total of EUR 7.15 million Somalia EUR 4.65 million

WFP EUR 2 million

SPR/ICRC EUR 1.5 million

Finn Church Aid EUR 650,000

Save the Children EUR 500,000

Kenya EUR 1.5 million

UNHCR EUR 1 million

World Vision Finland EUR 500,000

Ethiopia EUR 1 million, UNHCR

Sudan and South Sudan, total EUR 8.4 million Sudan EUR 2 million, UNICEF

South Sudan EUR 6.4 million

UNHCR EUR 2 million regional

WFP EUR 2 million

SPR/ICRC EUR 2 million

Finn Church Aid EUR 400,000

Central Africa and Great Lakes, DRC, total EUR 7 million Uganda EUR 1.2 million

World Vision Finland EUR 500,000

KUA EUR 400,000

FIDA EUR 300,000

Central African Republic EUR 3.1 million

UNHCR EUR 1 million (regional)

WFP EUR 1 million

Finn Church Aid EUR 700,000

SPR/ICRC EUR 400,000

Democratic Republic of Congo EUR 2.7 million

SPR/ICRC EUR 1.5 million

FIDA EUR 700,000

Finn Church Aid EUR 500,000

Asia, total EUR 3.3 million South Asia (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran) EUR 1.5 million, UNHCR

Afghanistan EUR 800,000, SPR/ICRC

Myanmar EUR 1 million

Finn Church Aid EUR 500,000

SPR/ICRC EUR 500,000

Europe, total EUR 1 million Ukraine EUR 1 million

UNHCR EUR 500,000

WHO EUR 500,000

WFP World Food Programme

UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

WHO World Health Organisation

UNRWA United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East

UNICEF United Nations’ Children's Rights & Emergency Relief Organisation

FAO United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation

ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross

IFRC International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

SPR Finnish Red Cross