EU Trust Fund for Africa: new programmes worth €294 million to further foster stability and jobs and growth in the Horn of Africa
This new package complements 50 previously adopted actions amounting to €820.3 million for the Horn of Africa. Approved in seven packages in December 2015, April 2016, October 2016, December 2016, April 2017, December 2017 and February 2018, these actions all contribute to improving stability and addressing the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement in the Horn of Africa region. Two additional cross-window measures (€26 million) also benefit the region in the area of protection of migrants along the Central Mediterranean route and in technical assistance.
Summary of the projects announced today:
Sudan
- The programme “Youth, Employment, Skills (YES)” (EU Trust Fund contribution: €15 million) aims at improving the ability of young women and men to find employment or establish and grow their businesses through Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET). The project will target youth and disadvantaged groups such as refugees and internally displaced persons of Darfur.
- The programme “Simple, Spatial, Survey Method (S3M) survey for Sudan” (EU Trust Fund contribution: €1 million) will help to collect and disseminate data on malnutrition among young children, as well as pregnant and lactating women through a survey in Sudan.
- The programme “Provision of air services to allow access for humanitarian and development actors in Sudan” (EU Trust Fund contribution: €1.5 million) will provide humanitarian and development actors, donor organisations and diplomatic missions in Sudan with better access to beneficiaries, especially vulnerable communities in hard-to-reach project implementation sites through the UN Humanitarian Air Services.
The two latter actions help implementing the humanitarian development nexus in Sudan.
South Sudan
- The programme “South Sudan Rural Development: Strengthening Smallholders’ Resilience – SORUDEV SSR” (EU Trust Fund contribution increased from €7 million to €15 million) will be expanded to cover now 7 out of the former 10 states of South Sudan and will help responding to the food security crisis affecting large parts of the population. The action will strengthen resilience of communities, improving governance and conflict prevention and reducing forced displacements due to loss of livelihoods.
Ethiopia
- The programme “Ethiopia Job Compact – Sector Reform and performance Contract” (EU Trust Fund contribution: €50 million) aims at supporting Ethiopia’s industrialisation strategy with €50 million. This will be done in the framework of the “job compact” initiative, an agreement between the Government and international partners to create decent employment opportunities for Ethiopians and refugees.
Kenya
- The programme “Piloting Private Sector Solutions for Refugees and Host Communities in North-West Kenya” (EU Trust Fund contribution: €5 million) will promote better economic integration and self-reliance of refugees and host communities in the Kakuma and Kalobeyei area through market-led solutions that strengthen and deepen local markets and respond to key development challenges. This action also aims at supporting the implementation of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF).
Somalia
- The programme “Inclusive Local and Economic Development – ILED” (EU Trust Fund contribution: €83 million) will foster stability in Somalia by extending state authority and increasing legitimacy of local authorities and services, promoting local reconciliation and peacebuilding, creating economic opportunities and protecting the most vulnerable.
- The programme “Somalia State and Resilience Building Contract” (EU Trust Fund contribution: €100 million) will increase the legitimacy and capacity of the Somali federal state, increase trust between the Federal Government and Federal Member States and reinforce economic reform.
- The programme “Operational Support (Air Transport) Services”(EU Trust Fund contribution: €6.5 million) will continue facilitating air access both to and within Somalia to support the smooth and efficient implementation of EU development cooperation.
- The programme “RESTORE – Building Resilience in Northern Somalia” (EUTF contribution increased from €8 million to €10 million) will receive additional funds to further contribute to addressing the adverse effects of el Niño on the resilience of already vulnerable communities of Northern Somalia, and reduce the effects of forced displacement and irregular migration in the region (this is a non-substantial amendment to an existing programme).
Regional
- The EU Trust Fund contribution to the programme “Facility on Sustainable and Dignified Return and Reintegration in support of the Khartoum Process” will be stepped by €20 million (to €45 million) in order to help partner countries to develop and implement rights-based, development-based and sustainable return and reintegration policies.
- The programme “Monitoring and Learning System” (EU Trust Fund contribution increased from €2 million to €4 million) will be expanded.
For more information