Brussels, 18 September 1995

Guatemalans fleeing conflict: the Commission steps in with emergency aid

Civil conflict in Guatemala has over the years forced over 17,500 people to flee their homes to safe havens. Though the fighting has died down, these people, many of them from among the indigenous populations of Guatemala, need help in resettling. The European Union has made available a grant of 569,000 ECU.

The European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) will work with the Spanish non-governmental organisation INTERMON on a project to last six months.

The programme will provide basic shelter and the inputs to restart agriculture. It will also provide the drugs and medical supplies needed to give primary health care cover. The aim is to reach some 3,500 families in all in the Quiché region.