The European Commission announced today new emergency support projects worth EUR209 million to help refugees in Greece.

This includes the launch of the flagship 'Emergency Support to Integration and Accommodation' (ESTIA) programme to help refugees and their families rent accommodation in urban areas, and provide them with cash assistance.

This differs from the previous humanitarian projects that mainly provided support for accommodation in camps and the provision of direct supplies.

Speaking in Athens today at the launch of the programme, Christos Stylianides, Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, said, "Today, we are opening a new chapter in the lives of refugees in Greece. Our new funding is a game changer on how we deliver aid to improve people's lives. The aim of these new projects is to get refugees out of the camps and give them accommodation, thus ensuring secure and normal lives for them. Together with our humanitarian partners and the national authorities, we are committed to helping the most vulnerable refugees and fulfilling our humanitarian duty in the move towards a more cost-effective response."

Dimitris Avramopoulos, Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, remarked, "Europe means solidarity, and this is what today's decision is about. The Commission has been standing side by side with Greece from day one, and together, we have come a long way. The projects launched today are part of our wider support for the country, as well as to those in need of our protection. Around 1.3 billion euros of EU funds are at the disposal of Greece for the management of the migration crisis."

Source: Wam