European Union brings over Le1.2 billion in aid to Freetown fire victims

In response to the devastatingfire incident in the capital city of Sierra Leone (Freetown) on 24 March 2021,which left 1,600 families homeless and more than 400 people injured, the European Union has provided €100, 000 (1,218,912,700 Sierra Leonean Leones) in emergencyfunding. Funds will help theSierra Leone Red Cross Societyin assisting the victims with emergency support for shelterand basic non-food items through cash, but also food, psychosocial support and safe water and sanitation to preventwaterborne and hygiene-related diseases outbreaks.

Families also need support to restart their daily activities to avoid slipping into extreme poverty and hunger.The aid will benefit the 1,000 most vulnerable among themwho have lost their homes, food stocks, money and other valuables. Priority will be given to families who have members withdisabilities, to the elderly, lactating mothers, pregnant women, children under 5 and households headed by women.

This funding to the Sierra Leone Red Crossis part of the EU’s overall contribution to the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Background

The European Union and its Member States are the world’sleading donor of humanitarian aid. Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity with people in need all around the world. It aims to save lives, prevent and alleviate human suffering, and safeguard the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by natural disasters and human-made crises.

Through the European Commission’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations department, the European Union helps millions of victims of conflict and disasters every year. With headquarters in Brussels and a global network of field offices, the European Union provides assistance to the most vulnerable people on the basis of humanitarian needs.

The European Union is signatory to a €3 million humanitarian delegation agreement with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support the Federation’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF). Funds from the DREF are mainly allocated to “small-scale” disasters – those that do not give rise to a formal international appeal.

The Disaster Relief Emergency Fund was established in 1985 and is supported by contributions from donors. Each time a National Red Cross or Red Crescent Society needs immediate financial support to respond to a disaster, it can request funds from the DREF. For small-scale disasters, the IFRC allocates grants from the Fund, which can then be replenished by the donors. The delegation agreement between the IFRC and ECHO enables the latter to replenish the DREF for agreed operations (that fit in with its humanitarian mandate) up to a total of €3 million.

For more information, please visit the European Commission’s website

For further information, please contact:

HilaireAvril

Regional Information Officer forWest and Central Africa

European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO)

Tel:+221 77 740 92 17

Hilaire.Avril@echofield.eu

N’Fa Alie Koroma

Press and Information Officer

European Union Delegation to Sierra Leone

Tel: +232 76741418

N’Fa-Alie.KOROMA@eeas.europa.eu