Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-10-23-Speech-2-278"
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"en.20071023.25.2-278"2
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"The Commission is fully aware of the scale of the humanitarian needs inside Iraq and its neighbouring countries. The Commission’s response to this crisis is twofold. Firstly, in order to support the refugees from Iraq and neighbouring countries, the Commission has immediately responded with the financial decision on EUR 6.2 million in humanitarian aid, adopted in May 2007, to address the most urgent needs of the refugees. That assistance will be further increased to EUR 7 million by the end of 2007.
The Commission has engaged with the governments of Syria and Jordan, which bear most of the burden of the refugee crisis, to develop assistance programmes. Those governments have clearly indicated that they were not in favour of external humanitarian assistance programmes, implemented via international organisations and NGOs. They expect the international community to support their national systems, mainly in the fields of education and health, as these systems also benefit Iraqi refugees.
Consequently, the Commission has identified quick impact projects for a total of EUR 37.7 million, for which the Commission is in the process of consulting Member States. All these actions form the Commission’s immediate response to the refugees’ most pressing needs.
The Commission realises that they only partially alleviate the enormous suffering and the pressure on the institutions and social fabric of neighbouring countries, and that is why it is currently further developing its response strategy in order to match it with appropriate funding.
Secondly, as far as the situation inside Iraq is concerned, the Commission is supporting the International Committee of the Red Cross with, so far, EUR 4 million, and is currently identifying additional solid and acceptable partners operational in Iraq with a view to increasing its level of assistance.
It has to be acknowledged that while there are significant humanitarian needs, there are also significant impediments to the delivery of humanitarian aid. These are severe security concerns and problems of access that prevent the Commission and any other donor from allocating funds which are truly commensurate with the level of needs.
There is in fact a dearth of humanitarian partners able to operate and implement programmes inside Iraq that properly address the needs of the most vulnerable people.
Finally, the Commission would like to recall that it is the main financial contributor to the international reconstruction fund facility for Iraq, with a contribution of EUR 123 million. That is, by the way, 46 % of the total contributions to date. Since 2003, the Commission has committed over EUR 800 million in Iraq."@en1
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