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Commissioner Lenarcic: The largest humanitarian crisis on our European continent since Second World War
The European continent is facing the largest humanitarian crisis since the Second World War, European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic told a joint press conference with Romanian Interior Minister Lucian Bode.
"What brings me this time to Romania is the largest humanitarian crisis on our European continent since the second World War. And this crisis, which has been caused by completely illegal, unjustified and unprovoked Russian military aggression against Ukraine, is causing enormous human suffering that you can see on your tv screens every day. Like in every war, it is the civilians who pay the highest price, even the most vulnerable, children, women, pregnant women, as we saw yesterday in Mariupol," said the Commissioner.
He spoke of the people running from war to neighbouring countries. "We have already seen more than two million refugees from Ukraine entering the European Union. One million per week," he added.
In this context, he underscored EU's support for people taking refuge and for the neighbouring countries hosting them. "The European Commission is active on multiple fronts, we have mobilised initial funding for humanitarian aids, under the auspices of the United Nations, and this initial appeal by the United Nations for three months is already fully funded," Lenarcic showed.
At the same time he added that the value of the aid granted amounts to over 100 million euro. The European Commissioner also brought to mind the creation of the logistical hubs in Poland, Romania and Slovakia. The official noted that Romania has been "one of the most active and constructive EU member states through its contribution to the EU civil protection mechanism."
Janez Lenarcic highlighted that "the reasons and explanations advanced by Moscow for unleashing this aggression are false and unacceptable." "I think [this crisis] should have never started and I think it should stop immediately. But, as long as it doesn't, we, of course, we'll need to provide our assistance, in Ukraine, the humanitarian aid, and to the civil protection assistance, and in all those countries where Ukrainians are coming to, and these are primarily the neighbouring countries, we should not forget about Moldova," the European Commissioner showed.
On Thursday at the Government House, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca welcomed visiting European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic, highlighting the importance of European support to Romania and Moldova in order to manage the flows of refugees from Ukraine (photo).
"Prime Minister Nicolae-Ionel Ciuca underlined the sustained efforts of Romania and the fact that the government of Romania counts on the European Commission, the member states and other partners to provide assistance in order for Romania to respond as effectively as possible to the needs of refugees. He also underscored the need to continue the active support of the European Commission, and also of the European partners, for Moldova, by allocating additional resources essential to the management of the intensive flow of refugees from Ukraine," according to a Government press release.
Lenarcic came to Romania for the opening of a humanitarian assistance hub in the northern Romanian city of Suceava with support from the European Commission.
"The activation of this logistics hub for the storage and distribution of humanitarian assistance reflects the government's firm commitment to an operational and coherent management of the inflows of refugees entering and remaining in Romania," the Government release reads.