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1st LD Writethru: EU pledges additional 15 mln euros of humanitarian aid to Ukraine 

Xinhua, January 27, 2015 Adjust font size:

The European Commission was pledging an additional 15 million euros (about 16.95 million U.S. dollars) in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, according to a press release issued by the European Commission here on Monday.

According to the press release, the new aid package was announced by Christos Stylianides, the European Commissioner for humanitarian aid and crisis management, who was visiting Ukraine from Jan. 26 to 27.

"I can announce today that the European Commission is pledging 15 million euros in humanitarian aid this year. This amount will bring the total humanitarian assistance of the EU and its Member States since the beginning of the crisis to over 92 million euros," said Stylianides in Kiev.

He noted that the EU assistance would go to all Ukrainian people affected by the conflict, including in Russia and Belarus.

The funds would cover daily necessities, such as shelter, food, water, healthcare, and warm clothing, and were jointly provided by the European Commission and Member States.

The humanitarian aid would be delivered by three cargo planes to help people most in need in Ukraine. Aid would also be provided by road. In total, about 85 tonnes of relief supplies would be delivered, said the press release.

"The humanitarian crisis in Ukraine is becoming more critical every day and this additional EU aid package is essential for the many struggling to survive in harsh conditions," said Stylianides in Kiev.

Stylianides was scheduled to discuss the emergency with Ukrainian authorities, to meet victims of the crisis in East Ukraine and to reaffirm the EU's solidarity with the affected people, according to the European Commission.

On Saturday morning, the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol came under shelling of rocket fire, which killed at least 30 people and injured almost 100 others.

The Ukrainian government and the insurgent leadership inked a ceasefire deal on Sept. 5 in the Belarussian capital city of Minsk, aiming at de-escalating the tension.

The conflict between insurgents and Kiev soldiers has raged for more than nine months, claiming at least 4,800 lives. (1 euro = 1.13 U.S. dollars) Endit