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February 22, 2016 —  The ̽����ѡ (̽����ѡ) welcomes the European Council’s recognition that the European Union (EU) must use all available means to alleviate the crisis for refugees, including by making urgently needed humanitarian assistance available within the EU.

Traditionally, the EU only funds humanitarian response outside of Europe. This is the first time that the EU has acknowledged that humanitarian assistance is needed from within the EU for European countries. The European Council and Commission should be commended for heeding the voice of humanitarian responders in the region who have been calling for more assistance to address dire needs within European Union member states. This is an important development for the humanitarian response and has been one of the conundrums for the EU: The Union is faced with a humanitarian crisis within its borders yet the structure and expertise to address humanitarian needs rapidly is dedicated to areas outside of the EU.

The ̽����ѡ looks forward to concrete European Commission proposals on the availability and operationalisation of new assistance for the EU response and calls for it to make full use of the expertise and skill of the EU Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection departments (ECHO) and aid agencies on the ground. Funding for a humanitarian response within the EU should not be drawn from funding for humanitarian crises elsewhere, and must be swiftly disbursed to those best positioned to meet humanitarian needs. The ̽����ѡ supports UNHCR calls for USD 550 million funding for the European refugee crisis this year. 

The ̽����ѡ has been responding to the European refugee crisis since July 2015 both on the island of Lesvos, Greece and through partners in Serbia. ̽����ѡ provides refugees with the basic services and information they need before they continue their journey to Europe. ̽����ѡ protection teams identify the most vulnerable cases – the elderly, women and girls, and unaccompanied children – and work with humanitarian partners to ensure they receive the care and services they need.

̽����ѡ President & CEO, David Miliband said: “This is a most welcome, tangible demonstration of the European Commission’s and the European Council's leadership, at a time when the crisis needs it most. We urge close attention to detail as concrete proposals are developed.”