- Title: Germany named second largest bilateral donor to WFP and UNHCR
- Date: 23rd January 2017
- Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (JANUARY 23, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTRY GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER, WORLD FOOD PROGRAM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ERTHARIN COUSIN AND UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES FILIPPO GRANDI ARRIVING TO NEWS CONFERENCE CAMERA (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER, FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER, SAYING: "The state of the world in 2016 and the crises that remain with us in 2017, (mean) the need for aid in 2017 will be great and tremendous." CAMERAS (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER, FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER, SAYING: "The (German) foreign ministry has around 1.2 billion euros available for humanitarian help. This leads to our work for humanitarian help having been able to increased sixfold since 2013. And today we are the second largest bilateral donor. Once again, we are doing this with a look at the two organisations standing next to us." MAN'S HANDS ON MOBILE PHONE (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER, FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER, SAYING: "South Sudan, Somalia, Burundi. We have more than doubled what we have for Central Africa in recent years with an additional 1.5 million euros available. UNHCR and the World Food Program remain our most important partners for our efforts in Africa." UN, EU AND GERMAN FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (English) UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES, FILIPPO GRANDI, SAYING: "Germany increased by 150 percent last year its financial support to UNHCR. We received 360 million U.S. dollars. We have a little issue here because the largest donor is the United States, like WFP (World Food Program). The second is a head-to-head between the European Commission and Germany. We haven't finished the accounts, so I can't tell you exactly who is the second. But you understand that the European Commission contribution includes a hefty German share, so we can safely say that Germany is the second largest donor for the first time in history of UNHR. And I think this is very significant because it also came in a year in which Germany did a lot directly to receive and support refugees." JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES, FILIPPO GRANDI, SAYING: "For the time being of course, we don't know what will emerge from Astana, from the Geneva talks afterwards. We don't know how this will affect population movements and dynamics. So my message will be tomorrow and is already today, whatever aid we receive, and we will need a lot of resources still, it will have to be as flexible as possible to make sure that we meet the needs of the people on the move, be they new displaced, because we can't exclude that, be they people that remain as refugees in the neighbouring countries - but even maybe some people will start to return. So I think we will have to remain flexible." STEINMEIER, COUSIN AND GRANDI SHAKING HANDS AND POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS
- Embargoed: 6th February 2017 15:33
- Keywords: Steinmeier UN refugee migration commission
- Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
- City: BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Asylum/Immigration/Refugees,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00160AVVPJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Germany's foreign minister said that 2017 is sure to be a year where humanitarian aid will crucial, promising 1.2 billion euros from the country's coffers at a news conference on Monday (January 23).
It makes Germany the second largest contributor to the World Food Program (WFP) and United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), after the United States.
Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that providing assistance in Syria will continue to be a focus, but also to Central African nations such as South Sudan, Somalia, Burundi.
"Germany increased by 150 percent last year its financial support to UNHCR. We received 360 million US dollars," the UN high commissioner for refugees, Filippo Grandi, said at the joint news conference with Steinmeier and WFP head Ertharin Cousin.
He added that aid organisations will need to remain flexible to meet the needs of "people on the move" this year. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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