EU Humanitarian aid - focus on forgotten crises

Helping people who are most in need, irrespective of their nationality, religion or ethnic origin, is a key principle of the European Union's humanitarian aid policy. This is reflected in the support channelled by the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO), which falls under the responsibility of Commissioner Poul Nielson, to crisis zones that have slipped out of the international media spotlight. ECHO is one of the world's largest donors of relief assistance, with an overall budget of €538 million in 2002. According to Mr Nielson: "Humanitarian aid for victims of natural or man made catastrophes should not depend on media coverage or political interests but on the needs of the people affected. ECHO is deeply concerned by the problem of the so-called 'forgotten crises', and we take great care to ensure that they are not forgotten by the European Union".

The most recent concrete example of this approach is a €3.32 million humanitarian aid package, adopted in July, in response to the seldom reported humanitarian crisis in Myanmar (Burma). The incidence of malaria and water-borne diseases there has increased sharply due to serious shortages of clean drinking water and poor sanitary conditions. The ECHO funding will help improve access to health care for the most vulnerable groups, with priority given to victims of malaria. It will also boost access to running water, increase water storage capacity and fund improvements to sanitation systems.

The long-running internal crisis in Myanmar has also resulted in the displacement of up to a million people. ECHO is one of the main donors supporting more than 130,000 refugees mainly from minority ethnic groups who are living in highly precarious conditions along the Thai-Myanmar border. In May, the Commission allocated €4.45 million to provide food and healthcare for the residents of refugee camps in this region.

In July, the Commission also adopted two humanitarian aid decisions, each worth €2 million, targeting vulnerable populations in Northern Uganda and Somalia. In Northern Uganda, more than a million people have been uprooted, due to the activities of rebel forces, with many forced to seek safety in overcrowded camps that lack even basic facilities. In Somalia, years of internal conflict combined with devastating droughts and floods have seriously weakened the coping capacity of local communities.

When a crisis is forgotten, the needs of the victims are more likely to be neglected. For the Commission, alleviating their suffering is just as important as helping those who are caught up in high profile humanitarian disasters. The chart lists ECHO funding decisions so far in 2003 for crisis zones where the humanitarian needs are seldom publicised.

For more information:http://europa.eu.int/comm/echo/index_en.htm


Crises where humanitarian needs are seldom reported - ECHO funding in 2003

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