The European Union will announce €60 million in additional support for Somali refugees at a Ministerial Pledging Conference in Brussels
Today, High Representative / Vice President Federica Mogherini and the European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, Neven Mimica, will announce €60 million to support Somali refugees in Somalia and Kenya. This announcement will be made during a Ministerial Pledging Conference on Somali Refugees taking place in Brussels.
Prior to the conference, European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, said: “When it comes to migration, European and African countries work together. That’s why dialogue is a key aspect of the EU’s external policy on migration. I’ve recently travelled to Niger and Ethiopia to launch High Level Dialogues with these key countries. Today’s event brings key partners together to discuss how to join efforts to give Somali refugees and displaced persons a better future.”
Commissioner Mimica also commented: “The EU stands ready to further build on its long-standing partnership with the Horn of Africa and to give €60 million to support the Somali refugees in the neighbouring countries. There can be no real peace building, state building or development without a durable solution for the Somali refugees. They account for almost 20% of the Somali population.
The €60 million will address two key areas. First, a €50 million programme will be put in place to support the sustainable and durable reintegration of refugees and internally displaced persons in Somalia, for example by increasing access to basic services, enhancing livelihoods and reducing vulnerability in areas of return and departure. This will help to manage voluntary returns of refugees from Kenya, Yemen and Europe.
Secondly, the EU will finance a €10 million programme for northern Kenya designed to provide relief and better opportunities for Somalian refugees who find themselves in particularly vulnerable situations when returns are not yet possible. This money will also go towards helping their host communities, for example by promoting employment oriented skills for both refugees in the camps and surrounding host communities, in order to increase economic exchanges in vulnerable regions in Kenya.