EU announces additional $220 mn aid for Ukraine amid humanitarian crisis

Amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the European Commission has announced another 205 million euros ($220 million) in aid for the war-ravaged country to abate the soaring humanitarian crisis

Amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the European Commission has announced another 205 million euros (USD 220 million) in aid for the war-ravaged country to abate the soaring humanitarian crisis, CNN reported.

"This brings the total EU humanitarian assistance in reaction to the war to 348 million euros, of which 13 million is dedicated to Moldova to support displaced people arriving in the country," according to Balazs Ujvari, CNN said, quoting the EU Commission's spokesperson for budget and human resources, humanitarian aid and crisis management.

Under the new emergency Macro-Financial Assistance (MFA) programme, European Union in March disbursed 300 million euros, the first payment of a 1.2 billion euros package to support war-torn Ukraine.

Moreover, the European Commission is preparing measures to ensure food security in the European Union and the rest of the world as the situation in Ukraine constrains "one of the main exporters of food to the world."

On February 24, Russia began a military operation in Ukraine, responding to calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in countering the aggression of Ukrainian troops.

Nearly 14 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, according to United Nations (UN) estimates and most of those displaced are women and children.The conflict has left 15.7 million Ukrainians in need of humanitarian support, with some of them lacking access to water and electricity.

Three million children inside Ukraine and over 2.2 million children in refugee-hosting countries are now in need of humanitarian assistance. Almost two out of every three children have been displaced by incessant rocket attacks and fighting between the two nations.