EU allocates €2M for victims of DR Congo volcano eruption

By Rodrigue Forku

YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AA) - The EU has allocated €2 million in emergency humanitarian funding for victims of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) volcano eruption, according to a statement on Saturday.

EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic said: "Although the situation remains fluid and the full extent of the damage is not yet known, it is already clear that the eruption of Mount Nyiragongo and the continuing seismic activity has displaced hundreds of thousands of people in and around Goma."

The May 22 volcano eruption killed over 30 people and the Goma Volcanological Observatory had also warned that the risk of a new eruption is real.

The eruption of Mount Nyiragongo has forced tens of thousands of people to flee Goma by road and boat, according to the UN migration agency.​​​​​​​

“The emergency funding will be used to respond to the immediate needs of the affected people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Rwanda,” he added.​​​​​​​

In a statement on Friday, Save the Children said in the past 24 hours that at least 3,000 people, including 1,800 children, have crossed into the Rubavu district in neighboring Rwanda from the DRC following increasingly volatile volcanic eruptions near the major town of Goma.

At least 250 people were killed when Mount Nyiragongo erupted in 2002, while over 120,000 residents were left homeless as lava flowed into Goma.