BRUSSELS — The European Union committed $2.15 billion on Friday to help Athens deal with what even EU leaders now call the “humanitarian crisis” hitting Greeks in the wake of the financial crisis that left the nation on the brink of bankruptcy.
EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said the funds will not be linked to international loans keeping Greece afloat but will instead be used as aid for people and companies hit hardest by the crisis.
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras praised the decision.
“It is a good sign,” he said. “It was recognized that there is a humanitarian crisis in our country and that there must be a common effort against it — because it was not the result of some natural catastrophe.”
The pledge came hours after the EU leaders told Tsipras to come up “in the next days” with a draft of budget cuts and tax increases to improve his balance sheet before he gets more bailout money from Europe.
