22066: (Chamberlain) EU to give 2 mln euros to Caribbean flood victims (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

     BRUSSELS, May 26 (Reuters) - The European Union is preparing a package
worth two million euros ($2.43 million) for victims of floods in the
Dominican Republic and Haiti this week, the European Commission said on
Wednesday.
     A spokesman for Development and Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Poul
Nielson said staff from the European Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) were
assessing the needs and coordinating emergency aid with other donors and
aid agencies.
     The European Union executive will before the end of the week endorse a
package most likely directed at providing water, sanitation, shelter and
food aid. This could be followed with additional aid later, he said.
     "We will continue to monitor the situation closely to assess whether
further assistance is needed," Jean-Charles Ellermann-Kingombe said.
     The flooding followed days of torrential rain on the island of
Hispaniola, shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Thousands were left
homeless in the two countries.
     Haiti, with a population of about eight million, is the poorest
country in the Americas. The 8.5 million people in the Dominican Republic
are on average more prosperous, but in some areas still live in grinding
poverty.