Germany has pledged to allocate EUR 2 million for the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in eastern Ukraine, the German Embassy in Ukraine said in a statement.

"With the allocation of these funds, the Federal government is once again significantly increasing its financial support for the ICRC's humanitarian activities in Ukraine," the German embassy said in the statement on Wednesday, December 16.

Within the ICRC Assistance, Protection, Prevention and Cooperation Activities in Ukraine in 2019-2021 program with a focus on eastern Ukraine, new federal government funds will be used for projects to provide the population with clean drinking water, improve health care, support and equip hospitals, care for prisoners, search for missing persons and reunite families, information campaigns about the danger of mines and ammunition residues.

"They will benefit people affected by the conflict on both sides of the contact line in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, in particular many internally displaced persons and families in cities and host communities," the embassy said.

Due to the additional funds provided for the current fiscal year back in late March 2020, Germany's total support for the ICRC for its many humanitarian activities in eastern Ukraine amounts to EUR 8 million in 2020. Thus, since 2016, Germany has provided a total of over EUR 36 million for numerous ICRC humanitarian activities in Ukraine.