EU releases €21.5 million in new aid as crises deepen in Venezuela and Haiti, and in response to Hurricane Melissa

The EU is releasing €21.5 million in humanitarian aid as Venezuela and Haiti face worsening humanitarian crises and as the Caribbean reels from the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa. The funding will help partners provide essential assistance such as food, healthcare, protection and emergency relief to those most in need.

Up to €14.5 million will address theconsequences of the Venezuela crisis, including its spillover to neighbouring countries such as Colombia. Priority areas of intervention are protection, healthcare and nutrition.

Another €5 million will support the emergency response to Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti. EU humanitarian partners are already providing drinking water, sanitation items, and emergency shelter, while the EU is preparing humanitarian airbridge flights and the deployment of relief stocks through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

This support comes on the top of the relief supplies being channelled through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, donated by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and Germany, including shelters, water and sanitation, protective equipment, and energy support. Spain is deploying a medical team with a field hospital.

The remaining €2 million will support people affected by thecrisis in Haiti, where the unprecedented levels of gang violence continue to put many communities at risk, forcing people to flee. Funding will be used to provide food assistance and support to displaced populations.

Commissioner for Preparedness, Crisis Management and Equality, Hadja Lahbib, said:

'As humanitarian conditions continue to deteriorate in Haiti and Venezuela, the EU remains committed to helping those most in need. This funding will help address the alarming food insecurity in Haiti, where the number of people displaced by violence is reaching record levels. It will also provide help to Venezuelans in and outside the country, as this crisis remains one of the largest in South America. Latin America and the Caribbean are also increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather events. Hurricane Melissa is a stark reminder of the devastating impact such disasters can have. Our funding will extend to our partners on the ground, who are delivering life-saving aid to affected Caribbean nations.'

This new funding adds to the €149 million already allocated through the year to Latin America and the Caribbean.

This support speaks to the broader ambition guiding the upcoming EU-CELAC Summit.

Europe's partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean is built on shared responsibility to protect the most vulnerable, to strengthen democratic resilience, and to respond together to crises that know no borders. The Summit will be an opportunity to deepen this cooperation, and to turn shared values into concrete action.