European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, as the 81st UN General Assembly High Level Week closed in New York, announced almost €710 million in EU support for displaced people and communities in Sub-Saharan Africa, plus emergency assistance for people affected by crises worldwide. The announcement was made as part of international advocacy organisation Global Citizen's campaign.
EU Commissioner Lahbib addressed the UN General Assembly on Haiti, noting that children are being recruited by gangs, families are trapped behind walls of violence, and humanitarian workers risk their lives to reach people in need. Since 1994, the EU has provided close to €600 million in humanitarian aid to Haiti, making it the largest recipient of EU humanitarian assistance in Latin America and the Caribbean. This year alone, EU support amounts to €23 million, with an additional €10 million for the Haitian National Police and the Gang Suppression Force.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in New York on the margins of the UN General Assembly. They discussed longstanding Norway-EU cooperation based on common values and interests, and Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, reaffirming support for the Ukrainian people with political, military, financial and humanitarian assistance. Von der Leyen highlighted the importance of the EEA Agreement and its full implementation, and welcomed Norway's September 18 measures to accelerate incorporation of the backlog of EU acts.
EU Commissioner Lahbib told a ministerial-level side event on Sudan at the UN General Assembly that 33 million people need help to survive, up to 150,000 have been killed since the war began, and Sudan tops nearly every ranking as the largest humanitarian and displacement crisis. She cited sexual violence against women and girls, detained humanitarian workers, and drone strikes on hospitals and markets, with Darfur, the Kordofans and Blue Nile State especially alarming. The EU has provided over €276 million in humanitarian support linked to the Sudan crisis this year, including €162 million for Sudan itself, and called for respect for international humanitarian law and unhindered cross-bord…