Peace prize money: EU donates cash to kids from Syria, Pakistan
The European Union on Tuesday donated its 2012 Nobel peace prize cash, plus a one million-euro top-up, to thousands of children impacted by war in Syria, Colombia, Congo and Pakistan.
“In situations of conflict, children are often the most vulnerable,” said EU president Herman Van Rompuy. “So it is only right that this award should benefit young victims of armed conflicts.”
Van Rompuy picked up the 930,000-euro ($1.2 million) award in Oslo a week ago along with European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso and European parliament president Martin Schulz.
The 27-nation union said at the time it would top up the cash to donate a total two million euros to children affected by conflict.
The funds will go to help 23,000 children in four projects:
— around 4,000 Syrian refugee children in camps at the border between Iraq and Syria
— more than 5,000 Colombian children, most of them refugees in Ecuador
— 11,000 Congolese children displaced in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and refugees in Ethiopia
— 3,000 Pakistani children in the tribal areas
The EU said Unicef will implement the project in Pakistan, Save the Children and the Norwegian Refugee Council will work with children in DRC and Ethiopia, UNHCR will run assistance in Colombia and Ecuador, and Acted from France will work in the Domiz Refugee camp in Northern Iraq with Syrian children.
The EU was named Nobel peace laureate for helping turn a continent at war to a continent at peace in the 60 years since it was born from the aftermath of World War II.
The bloc said that currently, 90 percent of the victims of conflicts are civilians, half of them children.
Some seven million children are refugees and 12.4 million are displaced within their own country due to conflict.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 19th, 2012.
COMMENTS (15)
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While rich Muslims do not donate this kind of money for our school kids it is great that EU is doing it. Anything for the kids is a true gift not arms and cash aid for the deep state. It is not surprising that some are still upset with the west and see evil in this. More and better education for kids is the last hope for us.
This one million top up came from German Tax payers? Aren't the Germans tax payers fleeced by Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain?
@Freeman
What's your problem? We didn't ask for it, If they are donating the money out of their free will, so be it. You have no right to deny me my share in this handout. I have already ordered for my plate of Biriyani.
@Mirza: Big question is why they give this money to these countries. Do they feel guilty or give lolly pops
We do not need this money at all. They should keep that money for their own kids who are getting poorer.
Thanks God we got money to invest in our election campaign.
I say, lets build more nukes with the money they sent!!
@Shaista: They would love to do that as long as terrorists living and training in Pakistan were to stop trying to kill them. Remember the Madrid blasts, the London Tube incident? No matter what you may want to believe, but their citizens are more important to them than your terrorists.
While rich Muslims do not donate this kind of money for our school kids it is great that EU is doing it. Anything for the kids is a true gift not arms and cash aid for the deep state. It is not surprising that some are still upset with the west and see evil in this. More and better education for kids is the last hope for us.
Thank you President Herman Van Rompuy.
@Shaista: you are right...
Blood money?
Do we have any shame? Day in and out our mullahs, banned orgs like DPC, are shouting slogans against these guys. And then at night , like street beggars we collect their dollars for our children, who are suffering because of none but the policies of our rulers, establishment and mullahs...
Please refuse these funds. We don't need these funds and we don't need these drones killing us. Just leave us alone please.
This country does not deserve one Rs as long as their own rich and elite do not pay taxes and do not give a penny to solve its own challenges. Pakistan has had more than sixty years to get its act together. Sorry children.