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Coronavirus: EU Global Response to Fight the Pandemic
The pandemic will aggravate humanitarian needs. Its effects will be most acutely felt by populations already affected by humanitarian crises and conflict, such as migrants, refugees, internally displaced persons, as well as women, children, elderly and disabled people and other minorities.
The EU's collective action will focus on addressing the immediate health crisis and resulting humanitarian needs, strengthening partner countries' health, water and sanitation systems and their research and preparedness capacities to deal with the pandemic, as well as mitigating the socioeconomic impact. To underpin these actions, the EU will secure financial support amounting to more than €15.6 billion from existing external action resources:
- €502 million for Emergency response actions.
- €2.8 billion to support research, health and water systems.
- €12.28 billion to address the economic and social consequences.
It combines resources from the EU, its Member States and financial institutions, in particular the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, to support partner countries and address their short-term needs, as well as the longer-term structural impacts on societies and the economy.
The European Union will continue to adapt its response to the evolving situation and focus on the most affected countries in need of health support, such as countries in Africa, the Neighbourhood, the Western Balkans, the Middle East and North Africa, parts of Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean. The first Team Europe packages are already being implemented in the immediate neighbourhood: the Western Balkans, in the East and to the South.
From the overall package of €15.6 billion, €3.25 billion are channelled to Africa, including €1.19 billion for the Northern African neighbourhood countries.
The EU is securing in total €3.07 billion for the whole neighbourhood – €2.1 billion for the South and €962 million for the Eastern Partner countries – and €800 million for the Western Balkans and Turkey.
In addition, the overall package includes another €1.42 billion in guarantees for Africa and the neighbourhood from the European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD).
The EU will support Asia and the Pacific with €1.22 billion, another €291 million will go for the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific region, €918 million to support our partners in Latin America and the Caribbean and €111 million to support Overseas Countries and Territories.
The EU global response to COVID-19 will integrate the strategic objectives the EU has set itself as regards the environment and climate, as set out in the European Green Deal, and the Digital Agenda, which remain fully valid. Ongoing work on these objectives will in fact reinforce the efforts to address the short and long-term challenges linked to the pandemic. The current crisis is a reminder that the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement remain crucial to help better equip the world for future systemic shocks.
For information on how B2EU could support your organisation in developing a public funding strategy and in unlocking different financing tools for your operation in the humanitarian sector, please don’t hesitate to contact us at: info@b2eu-consulting.com.