European Union announces Euro 250,000 for victims of severe weather in Manipur

The European Union (EU) on Wednesday announced a financial aid of Euro 250,000 (over Rs 2.25 crore) to help people hit by a hailstorm and heavy rain in the northeastern state of Manipur in early May.

The EU said the aid will be delivered by its humanitarian partner ADRA (Adventist Development and Relief Agency) and it will benefit more than 1,500 most vulnerable families. 

"The European Union has made available Euro 250,000 in response to the recent hailstorm and heavy rain that hit India's northeastern state of Manipur in early May," the EU said in a statement.

It said humanitarian aid will provide crucial assistance to those most affected in some of the worst-hit areas. 

The EU said priority will be accorded to the distribution of food and emergency shelter kits to help affected people whose livelihoods and houses have been damaged by the storm.

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"This will help communities to cope with the impact of the storm on their livelihood and to restore their houses," it said.

On May 5, a severe hailstorm struck large swathes of Manipur, causing extensive damage to over 48,000 houses, a number of infrastructure and agricultural lands and crops across 16 districts.

Lasting for 15 minutes with hailstones measuring up to four-five inches, the intensity of the storm resulted in major flooding in urban areas that caused widespread power outages.

The European Union and its Member States are the world's leading donor of humanitarian aid. Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity with people in need all around the world, the EU readout noted.

The EU funding is being made available via the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) department of the European Commission. 

With headquarters in Brussels and a global network of field offices, the EU helps millions of victims of conflict and disasters every year, providing assistance to the most vulnerable people on the basis of humanitarian needs, the grouping said.