Italian Development Cooperation has decided to allocate further multilateral emergency funding of 250,000 euro to help the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia tackle the refugee emergency. Most of the large numbers of refugees entering the country are from the Middle East, and travel along the “Balkans Route”. The new Italian funding is intended to support the initiatives envisaged under the special intervention plan launched by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in response to the migration crisis in Europe and the Balkans.
Italy’s contribution comes in addition to the 200,000 euro already earmarked for the emergency in the Balkans. It will be used to finance initiatives to prepare for the winter by improving existing migrant reception and transit structures in the country, which is under notable pressure given the large daily influx of migrants.
