LOC20:48
17:48 GMT
BRUSSELS, April 26 (KUNA) -- The European Commission Sunday announced three million euro as its immediate response to the vast devastation caused by an earthquake that hit Nepal on Saturday.
This comes in addition to the assistance from the EU Member States and the deployment of European Commission's humanitarian aid and civil protection experts to the crisis area, said the EU's executive body in a statement.
"I have mobilised all our means for emergency response to help the survivors and authorities in the aftermath of this tragedy. What is needed most are medical teams and relief supplies. I call on all EU Member States to join the coordinated European response," said EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides.
The Commission's emergency aid will go towards the most urgent needs in the worst affected areas, including clean water, medicine, emergency shelter and telecommunications.
Several EU states including Belgium, Finland, Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Poland and Sweden immediately offered urgently needed search and rescue teams, water purification systems and technical assistance.
The Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders has announced that Belgium is sending a 45-person-strong disaster aid team to Nepal this evening. (end)
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