The European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Wednesday advised the European Union member states to assist African countries to overcome the issue of famine else they will have to deal with the problem of migrant influx.
Juncker warned that if Africa is not assisted, Europe could face a repeat of the 2015 high influx of migrants when the UN’s World Food Programme ran out of funds.
“Our €2.7 billion EU-Africa Trust Fund is creating employment opportunities across the continent. The EU budget fronted the bulk of the money, but all our Member States combined have still only contributed €150 million. The Fund is currently reaching its limits,” he said.
“We know the dangers of a lack of funding – in 2015 many migrants headed towards Europe when the UN’s World Food Programme ran out of funds. I call on all Member States to now match their actions with their words and ensure the Africa Trust Fund does not meet the same fate,” Juncker added.
