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European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations
News article25 March 2022Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO)

Ukraine: EU delivers additional assistance, rescue vehicles and emergency equipment

Convoy of ambulances on a road
© French Civil Protection

The EU continues to deliver emergency assistance to Ukraine and neighbouring countries with millions of essential items such as medicines, shelter and food.

A new large-scale delivery takes place this week. It includes a convoy of 21 new ambulances, 11 fire engines, 16 rescue vehicles and 23 lorries transporting 49 tonnes of health and emergency equipment. The assistance convoy is offered by France via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and will arrive at the EU Civil Protection Centre in Romania, from where it will be sent to Ukraine.

In addition to France, all EU countries, as well as Norway and Turkey, have offered emergency assistance to Ukraine through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, making it the largest ever operation under this mechanism.

Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, said: “Every day we witness extraordinary solidarity of the European countries in supporting Ukraine. Today, another major delivery with ambulances, fire engines, and further emergency equipment is on the way from France to our logistics hub in Romania. The EU is working 24/7 to coordinate such emergency aid deliveries from all across Europe to Ukraine and its neighbouring countries under the strain of refugee inflow.”

The most vulnerable among the millions of people fleeing the war in Ukraine are chronically ill patients who desperately need specialised medical care. The EU is also coordinating medical evacuation operations via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to transfer the patients to hospitals where they can receive appropriate care for their conditions. Already 8 patients have been transported from Poland to Germany, Ireland, Italy and Norway, while many more medical evacuations are underway.

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