EU Pledges Over $800 Million for Displaced People and Crisis Zones

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced more than US$800 million (€710 million) in fresh European Union support for displaced people, their host communities and populations hit by crises.

The pledge was made during the United Nations General Assembly's high-level week in New York, where von der Leyen addressed a Global Citizen event. She said the funding would back people in Africa who have been forced from their homes, along with the communities receiving them, covering food, safety, shelter and health care.

The support is also intended to expand education for children and help parents acquire new skills and find work, she said. A further share of the package will strengthen emergency aid for communities affected by war, disease or natural disaster.

According to the European Commission, the package includes US$432 million (€380 million) for migration-related programmes in sub-Saharan Africa, US$113 million for peace efforts in the Great Lakes region, and US$8.5 million for Ebola response and health preparedness in Congo.

In her remarks, von der Leyen framed the commitment as part of a wider push against poverty, hunger and inequality, and thanked Global Citizen for convening the event.