By Nikos Bellos
The EU Commission has approved emergency aid to Greece and other countries in SE Europe to deal with the effects of the ongoing refugee crisis, a problem rapidly taking on dimensions of a humanitarian crisis.
The agreement was announced in Brussels on Wednesday afternoon and will reportedly be finalized on March 15 with the approval of a relevant directive. The decision, as previously reported, earmarks 700 million euros for affected countries, 300 million this year and the rest in 2017.
The largest portion will be allocated to Greece.
According to the Dutch EU presidency, the humanitarian aid aims to cover refugees’ basic necessities, such as food, water, shelter, medicines etc.
The measure is the first real expression of EU solidarity to Greece, Dutch Foreign Minister Commission Gerard “Bert” Koenders said, in referring to the decision.Koenders holds the presidency of the rotating EU Council.
