The second meeting of the Civil Society Coordination Group for the Ukrainian crisis was held today, chaired by Deputy Minister Marina Sereni. It followed the first meeting, held on 9 March, and was attended by members of the OSC (Organisation of Civil Societies), of the Civil Defence and of AICS (Italian Agency for Development Coordination) together with representatives of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
“Italy – Sereni said – has approved the allocation of 26 million Euros for crisis-related humanitarian aid – 6 million Euros to UNICEF in Ukraine; 6 million Euros to the ‘Ukraine Humanitarian Fund’ of OCHA; 4 million Euros to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Ukraine; 8 million Euros to UNHCR in countries of the region; 2 million Euros to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in the region – while donations and humanitarian supplies to Ukraine (25 tonnes approx.) and to Moldova (20 tonnes approx.) have been organised thanks to the effective and prompt coordination of the Civil Defence.
“Regarding Moldova – the Deputy Minister explained – we are arranging the use of the Farnesina Migration Fund together with UNHCR to help it organise the reception of refugees. The Farnesina has also set up a Coordination Group for monitoring the migration inflow, involving all the relevant national bodies, the National Asylum Commission, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organisation for Migration in order to make sure that fleeing refugees are given due protection and assistance. Great efforts were made, together with the Ministry of Equal Opportunities, to make sure that unaccompanied minors fleeing from Ukraine do not fall victim to trafficking or child labour”.
Deputy Minister Sereni thanked the Civil Society Organisations for the great effort made in assisting people affected by the conflict and assured the Farnesina will strive to recover the 110 million Euros allocated for the crisis, taken from the global cooperation fund, in order to avoid repercussions on other commitments.
“We don’t know how the crisis will evolve on the field, but we know for sure that the humanitarian emergency phase will be long lasting. We must therefore be ready to adjust our actions, both politically and technically, as we continue to work together, in a coordinated fashion, to identify the most pressing needs of the people affected by the war”, the Deputy Minister concluded.