EU humanitarian aid for Uganda

The European Commission has approved an €6 million humanitarian aid programme for victims of the largely forgotten conflict in Northern Uganda, to be released by ECHO. This package will target 1.6 million people that have been displaced due to insecurity in the north of the country. It will also provide emergency support for 40,000 people, mainly children, who are forced to leave their homes at night and camp in neighbouring towns, in order to avoid being abducted by armed rebel groups.

This decision will enable ECHO to continue supporting basic health system activities in the country : hospitals and health centres, feeding centres, HIV/AIDS awareness programmes, water and sanitation activities, food security interventions and psycho-social programmes for children who have been abducted and used as soldiers or 'wives' by armed groups.

ECHO will also continue to fund coordination, which is essential to avoid overlapping and duplication of partners' activities. This decision brings the total amount allocated by ECHO to Northern Uganda in 2004 to €12 million. This represents a significant increase compared with previous years (€420,000 in 2001, €4 million in 2002, €8 million in 2003).

Without ECHO support, the health system in Northern Uganda would be in a state of near collapse.

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