Following the visit by the high-level delegation in the aftermath of the earthquake, European Commission has approved the new aid package for the earthquake victims of Nepal.

The Commission has approved a financial support worth €16.6 million to assist Nepal after the devastating earthquake hit the country just over a week ago. The assistance will be provided directly to the Government of Nepal and will be available later this week. Following the joint EU-UN mission to Nepal, an additional €3 million of emergency aid has also been made available, bringing the total of the European Commission's support since the earthquake struck to €22.6 million.

EU Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, NevenMimica, commented: “This support is an expression of our solidarity with the Nepalese people. It is vital for the Government of Nepal to allow relief efforts to continue, as well as to kick-start rehabilitation work after the devastating earthquake. As soon as the needs assessments are completed, we will look into how we can further assist the people in Nepal.”

According to a press release issued by Delegation of the European Union to Nepal, this announcement follows the full mobilization of the Commission's humanitarian and emergency response tools to help respond to the disaster. Commissioner Christos Stylianides, responsible for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, has just returned from Nepal where he took stock of the needs and the European efforts to help.

"I have witnessed the magnitude of the destruction and of the support that will be needed to recover from such a devastating earthquake. I reaffirmed the EU's tangible solidarity with the government and people of Nepal and with the heroic emergency actors working around the clock on the ground. This announced assistance will allow us to efficiently link our current emergency efforts with the longer term reconstruction phase," Commissioner Stylianides said.

In the aftermath of the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Nepal on 25 April, the European Union made available €6 million in its immediate response. This support comes in addition to theassistance from the Member States and the deployment of European Commission's humanitarian aid and civil protection experts to the crisis area.

The EU's emergency aid goes towards the most urgent needs in the worst affected areas, including emergency shelter, clean water, medicine and telecommunications.

Aside from urgent financial aid and the presence of experts, the European Commission has been coordinating the joint response of Member States who have sent first-aid teams and equipment through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

The financial support worth €16.6 million to assist Nepal is made available from the 2007-2013 development programs for Nepal under the Development Cooperation Instrument for activities covering stability and peace building, as well as support to the education sector. Nepal has fulfilled eligibility criteria for the above mentioned programs. Payments were foreseen to take place later this year, but given the urgency of the situation, they were made available under a fast-track procedure.

In the aftermath of the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Nepal on 25 April, the European Union made available €6 million in its immediate response. This support comes in addition to theassistance from the Member States and the deployment of European Commission's humanitarian aid and civil protection experts to the crisis area.