WHO to deliver medical aid packages to Belarus

The World Health Organization will supply Belarus with medical aid packages today to assist migrants stranded along its borders with the EU.

Thousands of migrants—mostly from the Middle East—have gathered at the border hoping to enter the EU via Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. The EU has accused Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of orchestrating the border crisis by funneling asylum seekers to the border. They allege this is in retaliation to EU sanctions imposed on Belarus after police crackdowns on mass protests following last year’s disputed presidential election.

The WHO will provide medical supplies and aid to Minsk to support the needs of 10,000 migrants for three months. The EU has allocated almost $800,000 USD to humanitarian organizations to assist migrants at the border.

As officials in Brussels continue to debate policies regarding migrant pushbacks and the financing of border walls, expect to see new EU sanctions imposed on Belarus in the short-term. While Belarus remains unlikely to budge to EU demands, crisis looms for migrants stranded in makeshift camps hugging the border—especially as temperatures begin to fall. Nevertheless, as the EU has continued to fail to address migration issues, expect more migration crises in the long-term.

Wake up smarter with an assessment of the stories that will make headlines in the next 24 hours. Download The Daily Brief.