The European Commission will provide €120 million in humanitarian aid to several Latin American and Caribbean countries in 2025 to support the most vulnerable following recent natural disasters and armed conflicts. Part of this aid will also enhance disaster preparedness, crucial due to the regions exposure to natural hazards.
In Venezuela, €38 million will be granted to humanitarian organizations to address the ongoing crisis, focusing on protecting vulnerable groups, health, nutrition, and education.
In Colombia, €21 million will support people displaced by armed conflicts and address migration impacts in border areas with Venezuela. Key areas of assistance include food security, livelihoods, water, sanitation, health, and education.
An additional €10 million is allocated regionally in South America to aid those forcibly displaced and at risk. Ecuador will receive €2 million to support those affected by rising violence.
In Central America, €10 million targets those affected by violence and food insecurity, with another €10.1 million for disaster preparedness.
In the Caribbean, Haiti receives over €18 million to tackle the humanitarian crisis from escalating gang violence. Other Caribbean nations will receive over €8.5 million, primarily for disaster preparedness.
Background
The announcement comes on the first anniversary of the Memorandum of Understanding on disaster risk management between the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean, signed in Barbados a year ago to increase cooperation in this area.
This agreement brought together the European Union and the Latin American and Caribbean region, represented by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), the Coordination Centre for the Prevention of Disasters in Central America and Dominican Republic (CEPREDENAC), and the General Secretariat of the Andean Community (SGCAN), as well as Chile, Cuba, and Mexico. The memorandum of understanding is a key deliverable of the EU-CELAC Summit in 2023 and supports both regions in the implementation of the UN Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction.
For More Information
EU humanitarian aid in Venezuela
EU humanitarian aid in Colombia
EU humanitarian aid in South America
EU humanitarian aid in Central America and Mexico