WRITTEN QUESTION E-1184/01 by Concepció Ferrer (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Aid to Afghanistan.
Date: 2001-04-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Afghanistan, ECHO, EU financing, food aid, humanitarian aid

20.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 364 E/55

(2001/C 364 E/060)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1184/01

by Concepci(cid:243) Ferrer (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(19 April 2001)

Subject: Aid to Afghanistan

According to recently published information the Commission has approved € 3 million of humanitarian
aid to Afghanistan.

According to the same sources the purpose of that aid is to safeguard the supply of medical and food aid
to the most vulnerable inhabitants of Kabul and other cities.

Afghanistan is currently in a highly precarious situation, particular as regards the lack of respect for
human rights.

In view of the above, could the Commission specify what action it has taken in order to ensure that the
€ 3 million in question actually reach the most vulnerable people in the country(cid:146)s major cities?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(2 July 2001)

The Commission has made substantial donations of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan in recent years. In
1999, the European Community(cid:146)s Humanitarian Office (ECHO) allocated € 19 million addressing the needs
of the victims of drought and ongoing conflict. From the budget line to aid uprooted people in Asia and
Latin America, the Directorate general for External Relations (RELEX) allocated € 27,5 million in 1999 and
€ 16,5 million in 2000 to assist Afghan Internally Displaced People (IDP) and Afghan refugees in Pakistan
and Iran.

In February 2000, ECHO allocated € 2,5 million for IDPs in Afghanistan and Afghan refugees in Pakistan.
Moreover, an intervention plan amounting to € 13 million is in the process of being completed.
Operations address mainly the general food insecurity in the country as well as assistance to displaced
people.

The aid provided aims to alleviate the suffering of people affected by drought and civil conflict mainly
through food security operations in urban and rural areas, provision of water (wells), primary health care,
a nutritional programme for women and children and emergency assistance programmes for IDPs (tents,
blankets (cid:133)).

These essentially humanitarian operations are implemented through operational partners such as non-
governmental organisations (NGOs),
international organisations, and the Red Cross family and United
Nations (UN) agencies. Following ECHO(cid:146)s mandate which specifically envisages support to the most
vulnerable, the choice of operations to be financed is mainly guided by the focus of activities on those
most in need and by the inclusion in the proposed operations of mechanisms such as monitoring
provisions, selection criteria, pre-assessment and ex-post evaluation indicators,
those
targeted for aid are actually reached. Furthermore, ECHO has field experts in the country who also follow
very closely the ongoing projects to ensure correct delivery of aid.

to ensure that

Finally, the Member of the Commission responsible for Development and Humanitarian aid is planning
a mission to Afghanistan in September 2001 to get a direct
the situation and the
Commission(cid:146)s humanitarian response.

impression of