Somalia and the region of the Sahel (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Nigeria) are the beneficiaries of the recent allocation of humanitarian aid decided by Brussels on 8 June. The funds are of two kinds: the first to finance the new global Plan of aid for the Sahel in support of vulnerable populations such as children suffering from malnutrition or pregnant women suffering from long-term crises, aggravated by recent natural disasters such as drought, locust infestation and floods – for a total of 15 million euros, which are added to the 10 million already allocated in the 2007 budget for food aid. Second, Brussels has decided on emergency aid of 4 million euros for food and medical services to the benefit of the over 350 displaced people now living in refugee camps in Somalia and currently the victims of a cholera epidemic. The funds are being managed by the Humanitarian Office of the European Commission (ECHO) in cooperation with the specialized Agencies of the UN, Red Cross, Red Crescent and the humanitarian NGOs present in the beneficiary states.
