Humanitarian aid

The countries and regions where the European Union provides humanitarian aid mirror the list of the world’s trouble spots. Assistance is unconditional. It does not matter whether the disaster is natural or man-made; the aim is to get help to the victims as quickly as possible, irrespective of their race, religion or the political convictions of their government.

The EU channels emergency relief funding through its humanitarian aid department (ECHO). Since it was set up in 1992, ECHO has been active in more than 100 countries around the world, getting essential equipment and emergency supplies to disaster victims as soon as possible. From its budget of more than €700 million a year, ECHO also funds medical teams, mine-clearance experts, transport and communications, food aid and logistical support.

A challenging year

The year 2006 was a particularly challenging one, with extra calls made on the EU’s humanitarian aid resources because of:

• the plight of thousands of people displaced by the conflict in Darfur in southern Sudan and border regions of neighbouring Chad,
• the worsening situation of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza,
• the humanitarian consequences of the war in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah.

ECHO is also present in around 60 other countries including Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. The EU continues to support victims of what it calls the forgotten crises, which accounted for 14% of its 2006 humanitarian budget. The main forgotten crises identified were in Nepal, the Myanmar/Thai border area, Chechnya, Kashmir and the precarious situation of refugees from Western Sahara in neighbouring Algeria.

Teamwork

As an active humanitarian donor, the European Commission, through ECHO, cooperates closely with implementing partners — non-governmental organisations, UN bodies and the Red Cross/Red Crescent movement — to provide food and equipment, clean water and sanitation, shelter, medical facilities and temporary communications systems. The EU expects the present high level of natural disasters and conflicts to continue and has increased the number of field officers with experience in the rapid evaluation of needs, to improve its humanitarian response.

Chechnya: a long-running crisis The conflicts of 1994 and 1999 still affect the population of Chechnya and the need for humanitarian aid remains. About a quarter of the republic’s population of about 800 000 was displaced. Many have returned in recent years from neighbouring Ingushetia and Dagestan. Living conditions are difficult throughout Chechnya, including in the capital, Grozny. While the situation has improved, allowing ECHO to reduce its program for the first time since 1999, many people still depend on funding channeled through organisations like the Red Cross, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the World Food Program. As part of its program, the EU is funding training for vulnerable local people, with the aim of making them more self-sufficient. This includes income-generating activities such as building and tending greenhouses.