EU releases humanitarian assistance to Africa as needs grow

On 11 April 2017, the European Commission announced humanitarian assistance to help people in need in the Great Lakes and Southern Africa and Indian Ocean regions, who continue to face the consequences of years of conflict and displacement, as well as widespread food insecurity and natural disasters. Funds will go towards helping those affected by food insecurity caused by prolonged drought, as well as to strengthening capacities to manage recurrent disasters.

The Southern Africa and Indian Ocean region is prone to recurrent natural disasters such as cyclones, floods and droughts.
The Great Lakes region is hosting nearly a million refugees, most of them in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania, and more than two million internally displaced people in DRC itself.