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On 13 April, the European Commission published preliminary figures, which showed that the EU collective (EU institutions and member states) official development assistance (ODA) had increased to €68 billion in 2015 (up 15% from €59 billion in 2014) i.e., the EU collective ODA represented 0.47% of EU Gross National Income (GNI) and was growing for the third year in a row. The European Union and its member states have again kept their place as the world’s leading aid donor.

Preliminary figures show that Lithuania’s ODA amounted to €39.4 million in 2015 i.e., the represented 0.11% of EU Gross National Income (GNI). In 2015, Lithuania’s multilateral aid amounted to €30.86 million (78.3%) and bilateral aid to €8.54 million (21.7%). As every year, the largest volume of Lithuania’s ODA was allocated to pay contributions to the European Development Fund and a part of contribution to the EU general budget, to implement the EU’s external policies. Last year, these contributions amounted to more than €2.98 million and €21.63 million respectively. Bilateral aid was given to Eastern Partnership countries and other countries included in the list of beneficiary nations to the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

In 2015, Lithuania allocated €610.9 thousand as humanitarian aid, mostly to Ukraine (€396.6 thousand). The funds were used to ensure basic living standards for displaced persons from Donetsk and Luhansk regions, to purchase necessary medications and medical equipment for hospitals in eastern Ukraine, to provide medical treatment in Lithuania to injured Ukrainians, to transfer to Lithuania children affected by the conflict in eastern Ukraine for the 2015-2016 school year. Additionally, humanitarian aid was donated to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for Ukraine’s internally displaced persons and people who lost homes, to the International Committee of the Red Cross for people affected by conflict and to the United Nations Children’s Fund for the nationwide polio immunization campaign in Ukraine. Humanitarian aid was also allocated for refugees in Syria, Yemen, and the fight against Ebola as well as for victims of natural disasters in Nepal, Georgia, Malawi, and Ethiopia, also for voluntary contributions to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Lithuania joined the European Union in 2004 and committed to provide ODA.

Lithuania is not yet a member of the OECD, however, it provides data about the volume of ODA to the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the OECD each year.

Updated figures will be published in July.

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