Contents

1........... Policy.. 3

1.1.... Disaster response capacity. 3

1.2.... Voluntary Corps (EVHAC) 3

1.3.... Food assistance, nutrition and Food Aid Convention. 4

1.4.... Civil protection policy. 5

1.5.... Good Humanitarian Donorship. 5

1.6.... Thematic policies. 6

1.7.... Aid effectiveness. 10

2........... Interinstitutional relations and cooperation with other donors and partners. 11

2.1.... Council Working Group on Humanitarian Aid and Food Aid (COHAFA) 11

2.2.... Council Working Group on Civil Protection (PROCIV) 12

2.3.... Cooperation with other EU institutions, donors and partners. 12

3........... Implementation of humanitarian aid and civil protection in 2011 13

3.1.... A needs-based approach. 13

3.2.... Top 10 humanitarian crises in terms of funding allocations. 15

3.3.... Sub-Saharan Africa. 16

3.4.... Middle East and Mediterranean. 26

3.5.... Asia and the Pacific. 32

3.6.... Latin America and Caribbean. 45

3.7.... Worldwide intervention tools. 52

3.8.... Disaster preparedness activities, including DIPECHO.. 55

3.9.... Transition and Resilience. 56

3.10.. Civil protection. 57

3.11.. Case studies on launching assistance (humanitarian aid, disaster preparedness and civil protection) 63

4........... Aid management.. 69

4.1.... Aid delivery methods. 69

4.2.... Coordination of humanitarian funds. 71

4.3.... Evaluations. 74

4.4.... Control of the use of funds. 75

4.5.... Visibility of aid and communication. 77

4.6.... Security and Security of Operations. 79

4.7.... Training initiative — NOHA.. 80

1. Policy

1.1. Disaster response capacity

Following the adoption of the Disaster Response Communication[1], which was welcomed by the General Affairs Council[2], the Commission launched work in 2011 on further developing the European disaster response capacity. The Communication also paved the way for the Commission's legislative proposal on the review of Union Civil Protection Mechanism, adopted in December 2011.

In the field of civil protection response, the overall objective is to move away from the current system relying on ad hoc offers of assistance to a pre-planned, predictable and immediate system. At present, the deployment of EU civil protection assets is based purely on voluntary and ad hoc offers of assistance by Member Sates, but in situations where every hour counts Europe needs a system that can ensure the availability of some key assets, which can be deployed instantly and which meet the agreed quality criteria. The Commission's proposal therefore provides for the development a European Emergency Response Capacity in the form of a voluntary pool of Member States assets on standby for operations under the Mechanism. Furthermore, it is proposed that a 24/7 Emergency Response Centre (ERC) based on the current MIC will serve as a platform to provide a more effective, efficient and coherent EU response whenever and wherever a disaster strikes. For this purpose the ERC will collect real-time information on disasters, monitor hazards, lead work on preparing the contingency plans and coordinate the Union's disaster response efforts. It will have direct links with both civil protection and humanitarian aid authorities in Member States, allowing a better coordination of all in-kind assistance and humanitarian funding, and thus ensuring a fully joined-up approach to European disaster response.

1.2. Voluntary Corps (EVHAC)

Work has continued in earnest on the Voluntary Corps:: 2011 was the year of DG ECHO’s first 25 pilot volunteers sent to 14 countries worldwide from Haiti to Indonesia, from Mozambique to Tajikistan - and there are 60 more waiting in the wings for deployment early 2012. And it was the year of a mood-shift within the sector: the online public consultation run between February and May 2011 showed an overwhelming support for the Corps with over 80% agreeing that the Corps will make a positive contribution to the humanitarian sector.

After all, no such European-wide programme exists and humanitarian organisations report a sore lack of suitable human resources to deliver on their missions in the current period of an increasing number, intensity and protraction of crises. At the same time, the European Year of Volunteering 2011 highlighted once again that Europeans have volunteering in their DNA: an estimated 100 million Europeans do it and when asked where volunteering makes the biggest difference, 'humanitarian aid' comes first in the responses with 34%. This concept laid down in the Lisbon Treaty[3] is thus a positive response to what European citizens aspire to.

However, the Commission has understood the messages from its humanitarian partners. Rigorous selection and thorough preparation and training of volunteers are key to ensure professionalism of humanitarian aid. Security of the volunteers is paramount. And the Corps needs to add real value to the local capacities to have a lasting impact. In this spirit DG ECHO has set aside €1 million in 2011 for a first phase of pilot projects. Commissioner Georgieva launched them in June in Budapest conveying her conviction that the Corps will become a programme to build the next generation of leaders in the humanitarian sector. Save the Children, the French Red Cross and Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) have been selected to run the first three 15-months projects that focus on disaster preparedness and post disaster recovery activities. For a second phase of pilot projects in 2012, DG ECHO has announced its intention to include disaster response and civil protection as eligible activities to learn what added value the Corps can have in these areas.

The work towards the key element in this process has equally started. In 2012, the Commission will propose a Regulation to be adopted by the Council and the European Parliament concerning the establishment of the Voluntary Corps with an indicative financial allocation of €210 million under the Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020. The Commission has launched a thorough Impact Assessment exercise in 2011 in order to compare different options of how the Corps could look like and to be sure that the Commission chooses the most cost effective one with the highest impact.

Last but certainly not least: DG ECHO is committed to finding an attractive name for the Voluntary Corps. The exercise to coin a catchy name has started and will include in 2012 a public online forum to involve the European public

More up-to-date information can be found on http://ec.europa.eu/echo/aid/voluntarycorps_en.htm and on http://ec.europa.eu/echo/media/videos/index_en.htm?file=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dWjCDqtaF0#evhac-budapest-062011[4]

1.3. Food assistance, nutrition and Food Aid Convention

In 2011, the further roll-out of the Humanitarian Food Assistance Policy[5], adopted by the Commission and endorsed by Member States in Council Conclusions in 2010, continued. The main aim is to provide food assistance to the most vulnerable crisis-affected people in the most efficient and effective way. To this end, this policy promotes the best mix of assistance tools in order to deliver the most appropriate response in a given humanitarian context. For instance, in situations where safe and nutritious food is actually available but vulnerable people do not have access to it, the most efficient response is likely to include the distribution of cash or vouchers to beneficiaries. In this vein, cash-based assistance was implemented in response to e.g. the floods in Pakistan and South East Asia. At the same time, this reflects the momentum cash transfers have gained within the humanitarian community. DG ECHO was proactive throughout 2011 in promoting corresponding good practices and programming. In this respect, it supported, for instance, initiatives such as the "Cash Learning Partnership" (a consortium of six aid organizations) and "Cash For Change" (WFP initiative) .

In the Sahel and Horn of Africa regions, where there are protracted food crises exacerbated by cyclical shocks, DG ECHO continued to work closely with the Directorate-General for Development and Cooperation - EuropeAid (DG DEVCO). Thereby, the methodology of the "Joint Humanitarian Development Framework" was used, allowing a better understanding of the immediate, underlying and basic causes of the food crises. This has paved the way for the design in 2012 of a "joint programme", where humanitarian and developmental actions are aligned with a common goal and where the multiple and inter-related causes of the food crises will be addressed in a consistent manner by humanitarian and/or development instruments.

The problem of under-nutrition attracted increasing interest in 2011. Thereby it was recognised that for sustainable solutions, the issue has to be addressed through a multi-sectoral approach (food security, water/sanitation, health ..) and from both the humanitarian and development angles.

DG ECHO continued the further development of its approach towards under-nutrition in emergencies. At the same time, it maintained close co-operation with more development-oriented Commission services and contributed for instance to the DG DEVCO-led Reference Document "Addressing Under-nutrition in External Assistance". DG ECHO addressed acute malnutrition through comprehensive action for instance in drought-stricken the Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia.

In 2011, DG ECHO negotiated for the Commission, on behalf of the Union, the new Food Assistance Convention which will replace the Food Aid Convention 1999. The new Food Assistance Convention will facilitate the provision of effective, appropriate and adequate food assistance responses, consistent with best practices and the European Humanitarian Food Assistance Policy.

1.4. Civil protection policy

On 20 December 2011 the Commission adopted a proposal to the European Parliament and the Council on the review of Union civil protection legislation[6]. The proposal aims to reinforce the Mechanism in face of the future challenges by closer linking its different elements (prevention, preparedness and response) into a more coherent whole and by strengthening the prevention and preparedness elements, as well as disaster response. The related impact assessment assessed different options to support and complement Member States' disaster risk management actions by a coherent EU prevention policy framework. Several policy options were studied and compared using quantitative and qualitative analysis. The options included Commission guidelines on minimum national prevention standards and on national disaster risk management plans (RMPs), different levels of EU co-funding, plus the setting of a date for completion of RMPs by MS. The options and results were consulted with a wide range of stakeholders and formed the basis of the legislative proposal.

In the fields of prevention and preparedness, more emphasis was placed on preventive measures (the costs of prevention are always considerably lower than those linked to remediation) and on the development of training courses and simulation exercises. Lessons learnt meetings were organised for the numerous disasters that occurred in 2011.

1.5. Good Humanitarian Donorship

The Commission continued to play an active part in the Good Humanitarian Donorship (GHD) initiative, focusing in particular on efforts towards a common needs assessment system. The Commission liaised with the IASC[7] Needs Assessment Task Force on behalf of the GHD. At field level, DG ECHO chaired the GHD groups in Democratic Republic of Congo and in the occupied Palestinian territory throughout the year.

Under the Swiss GHD chairmanship in 2010-11, GHD focused on issues related to the protection of civilians, the safety and security of humanitarian workers as well on quality standards in humanitarian action. In 2011, Mexico and Liechtenstein officially joined the GHD, now comprising 39 members.

1.6. Thematic policies

1.6.1. Disaster Risk Reduction

Throughout 2011, the Commission, building on its humanitarian experience, has multiplied its efforts to reduce vulnerability and increase resilience of the populations living in high-risk regions in the world. It has further integrated disaster risk reduction into its humanitarian activities, from the early phase of disaster planning to disaster response and recovery while strengthening its work in the community-based preparedness sector, advocacy, coordination, capacity-building and dissemination of good practices.

The Commission has also strengthened the coordination and improved the synergies between its Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) initiatives within and outside the EU creating, thus, the conditions for setting up a consistent, effective, and strategic DRR framework within the current EU policy.

Benefitting from the learning and experience DG ECHO has acquired with regards to DRR[8], and given the international and EU commitments on DRR and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA), the Commission started to develop a comprehensive DRR policy which also encompasses adequate references to adaptation concepts.

This policy guidance for DRR is an important element in the development of an overall EU strategy for resilience, providing missing baseline data for existing DRR funding in humanitarian aid while establishing best practice in disaster risk reduction and positioning longstanding Commission-funded programmes, such as DIPECHO[9], in the context of resilience-building strategies overall.

Finally, DG ECHO has also started the reinforcement of its human resource knowledge, organisational and management capacities for an improved DRR integration across its actions through the development of a training policy that will be completed in 2012.

1.6.2. Civil-military relations

The increasing intensity, frequency and complexity of natural or man-made emergencies has led to a growing number of actors in crisis response, besides traditional humanitarian and civil protection organisations. Furthermore, the adoption of "integrated" or "comprehensive" approaches, as well as "stabilisation" strategies to tackle conflicts have challenged existing mechanisms and experiences in civil-military coordination. Effective civil-military coordination is thus becoming an essential element for the humanitarian community in many emergencies.

The above environment, coupled with the administrative reorganisation following the establishment of the European External Action Service (EEAS), led to a natural increase in the interaction of DG ECHO with the work of the EEAS Crisis Management structures. More leverage, regular outreach, interaction and coordination with key civilian, military and political actors allowed the Commission to preserve the vital specificities of humanitarian assistance, while at the same time contributing to mutual understanding and synergies with other actors and to the coherence of the EU external action when appropriate.

In 2011, the interaction between DG ECHO and crisis management actors brought a number of positive results:

· The planning and conduct of the military operation EUFOR Libya, the first EU CSDP (Common Security and Defence Policy) operation in support of the humanitarian community was a positive example of the cooperative model that the Commission wishes to replicate as a standard practice –namely, timely involvement of the European in the early stages of the definition of the CMC (Crisis Management Concept) and other planning documents until the activation of the CSDP operation and its deployment on the ground. The non-activation of EUFOR Libya should not be seen as a failure. The Operational Headquarters in Rome were set-up but full activation of the operation was made conditional to needs identified by humanitarian organisations on the ground, as well as to the respect of humanitarian principles and the UN Guidelines on the use of Military Assets in complex emergencies (MCDA Guidelines). Indeed, designed as a measure of last resort, neither OCHA[10] nor the humanitarian organisations active in Libya did consider that the situation evolved in a way to warrant a direct military assistance for the provision of humanitarian aid. The fact that EUFOR Libya was ready to be launched at any time in strict respect and support of the humanitarian community and its principles was highly welcomed.

· The coordination arrangements between DG ECHO and the Movement and Planning Cell of the EU Military Staff to mobilise military assets in support of Community civil protection operations were once more successfully put into practice during the evacuation of thousands of third country nationals stranded at the border in Tunisia during the height of the Libyan crisis. For the first time, the Movement and Planning Cell of the EU Military Staff collocated with the ECHO's Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC). This proved to be a valuable innovation that improved coordination and efficiency.

· DG ECHO was, for the first time, associated to the planning and conduct of an EU civil-military exercise organised by the EEAS crisis management structures: CME11 (Crisis Management Exercise 2011). It contributed to mutual understanding of each other mechanisms and specificities, as well as to improving the culture of coordination during the planning phase of CSDP actions. The Commission hopes that this will be continued and reflected also in future real crisis management situations.

· DG ECHO followed closely developments of the joint Qatari/Turkish/Dominican HOPEFOR initiative to enhance the effectiveness and coordination of the use of MCDA for natural disaster response and participated in the International Conference in Doha in November 2011 where the Qatar Government announced the establishment of a civil-military coordination Centre of Excellence based in Doha to serve the Middle East and West Asia.

Finally, the Commission continued to contribute to enhancing civil-military coordination by funding the activities of UNOCHA in the civil-military coordination field, including training events, large-scale multilateral military exercises and the dissemination of the existing UN Civil-Military Coordination Guidelines (‘MCDA Guidelines’ on the use of military and civil defence assets in complex emergencies and ‘Oslo Guidelines’ for international disaster relief).

1.6.3. International humanitarian law (IHL) and Humanitarian Space

Strengthened advocacy on IHL, humanitarian principles and humanitarian space was an important achievement in 2011. Exchanges with and outreach to key humanitarian actors, donors and key actors within the European Union have given those issues more visibility. On many occasions Commissioner Georgieva raised her concerns regarding the lack of respect for IHL and the obligations falling on warring parties involved in various armed conflicts, in particular vis-à-vis civilian populations.

DG ECHO was actively involved in the preparation of the EU pledges for the 31st International Conference of the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement (28 November-1 December 2011). The main objective of the Conference was to strengthen IHL and humanitarian action by focusing on four areas: (1) Strengthening legal protection for victims of armed conflicts; (2) Strengthening Disaster Law; (3) Strengthening local humanitarian action and (4) Addressing barriers to health care. The Conference gave a mandate to ICRC[11] to conduct consultations on possible ways to ensure that IHL remains practical and relevant in two areas: providing legal protection to all persons deprived of their liberty in relation to armed conflict and ensuring; effectiveness of mechanisms of compliance with IHL.

DG ECHO has also contributed to the organisation of the EU Annual Forum on Human Rights, which was focused this year on "how to boost the EU Guidelines for promoting compliance with IHL". Participants highlighted that to enhance humanitarian access, a humanitarian diplomacy was needed. They also recognised the relevance of strengthening IHL dissemination outside the EU, in particular to armed non-State actors who have often become main actors in contemporary armed conflict situations,

Under the DG ECHO Grant Facility (2010-2011), more than 120 humanitarian workers and policy-makers have been trained in IHL. Two IHL-related projects have been launched under the new Enhanced Response Capacity funding: the first one, implemented by the Norwegian Refugee Council in consortium with the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), aims at identifying how humanitarian principles are applied in practice by NGOs, agencies and donors, with the view to strengthen their operationalisation. The second project, implemented by the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action and Geneva Call will provide training in IHL and related humanitarian norms to armed non State actors and civil society organisations in selected countries, promoting compliance with international norms and principles and hereby contributing to the protection of civilians.

In order to better steer its advocacy and its interventions in situations of restricted humanitarian access, DG ECHO has commissioned a review and evaluation of humanitarian access strategies in EU-funded humanitarian interventions, which will be finalised by April 2012.

A general concern for the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid by the European Union is arising as counterterrorism legislations are now having a significant impact on humanitarian action. These legislations include provisions that criminalize the transfer of resources to terrorist groups or individuals, irrespective of the humanitarian character of such actions or the absence of any intention to support terrorist acts. This issue has started being addressed with discussions within the EU and key partners, and importantly with the US because of the latter's far-reaching anti-terrorism legislation and its extraterritorial application.

1.6.4. Gender

Following the 2010 Issues Paper on the gender dimension of humanitarian aid and the recommendations of the 2009 Gender Review, DG ECHO developed last year a Gender Policy for Humanitarian Aid, complemented by an Action Plan, which shall be adopted in early 2012.

The principal objective of a gender approach to humanitarian aid, as defined in the above mentioned policy, is "to ensure the quality, impact, efficacy, relevance and efficiency of humanitarian actions, by developing and implementing responses sensitive to social vulnerabilities and mindful of the different cultural backgrounds, capacities, coping mechanisms and contributions of women, girls, boys, men and other gender groups, and adapted to fulfilling their basic and specific needs". The policy develops a framework for action concerning gender integration, gender-focused actions and capacity building.

The Action Plan of the Gender Policy for Humanitarian Aid proposes concrete steps aimed at fully integrating a gender dimension in EU humanitarian aid and defines measurable and time-bound objectives as well as the necessary actions to reach them. Among these, is the development and adoption of a Gender Marker.

The adoption of the Equal Opportunities Action Plan, establishing recruitment targets for staff, including in management positions, was a step forward towards the promotion of gender balance in DG ECHO. The Plan also commits to improving work-life balance. Furthermore, it determines the drafting of a Code of Conduct for field staff, including specific provisions on sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA).

In 2011, Commissioner Georgieva met on numerous occasions with partners engaged in fostering gender equality, such as UN Women and the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict.

For the first time, ECHO's Gender Working Group (GWG) met in its full capacity, bringing together headquarters staff and field experts to discuss gender policy development efforts, practical tools for making EU humanitarian aid more gender-sensitive and ways to better integrate sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) into programming. The two-day meeting was also an opportunity for exchanges of information and best practices with external actors, including the IASC Gender Standby Capacity (GenCap) and DG DEVCO.

Finally, DG ECHO actively participated in networking and coordination meetings of several EU gender-related inter-service working groups. DG ECHO also contributed to the negotiations of the Memorandum of Understanding between the EU and UN Women. The Commission continued supporting capacity building projects related to gender in humanitarian settings, namely to address SGBV, and has engaged in discussions with partner organisations in view of potentially financing new capacity building initiatives.

1.7. Aid effectiveness

1.7.1. Needs assessment

Since early 2009, the issue of needs assessment has gained importance in inter-agency discussions and is now on the agenda of the main humanitarian aid donors and partners.

The IASC Needs Assessment Task Force (NATF) has approved a series of guidance documents and tools designed to support a coordinated approach to assessments in emergencies including operational guidance, humanitarian indicators, Multi-Cluster Initial and Rapid Assessment methodology and the Humanitarian Dashboard.

In 2011 DG ECHO has continued to support the rolling-out of the Needs Assessment Dashboard (including through dedicated capacity building funding), with a view to strengthen capacities and inter-agency collaboration on this issue. All donors have fully subscribed to these objectives.

Given the challenges in implementing the tools developed by NATF, donors decided to fund ACAPS (Assessment Capacity Project) aimed to support the Needs Assessment process at the field level through training, development of a roaster of experts and deployment of needs assessment experts.

Donors agreed on the need to continue to support the work towards common/joint needs assessment. DG ECHO is in particular working with other donors for making sure that the NATF Work Plan is implemented under the overall lead of OCHA, and with the support provided through the ACAPS project.

1.7.2. Capacity building

Global capacity building provides for a better and broader humanitarian coverage through a more rapid and cost effective humanitarian response. It is achieved primarily through the strengthening of the global humanitarian system. This is consistent with DG ECHO's commitment in the European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid, and the Good Humanitarian Donorship Principles.

For 2011 and 2012, €24 million has been allocated for global humanitarian capacity building. This funding is engaged to improve the promotion of the humanitarian principles that underpin why we provide humanitarian aid, and with a view to improving access and respect for humanitarian assistance. It also provides the practical measures to improve the global delivery in humanitarian responses. In all cases, this is done through the global humanitarian system and in particular the clusters for their respective sectors. This include e.g.:

· In Logistics, rapid global helicopter deployment through the UN World Food Programme (WFP) both to accelerate and extend the vital initial phase of humanitarian responses. This is combined with International Federation of the Red Cross/Crescent (IFRC) which led improvement of the global information management of what stocks are available to improve the speed and cost of providing aid.

· In Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), improving the capacities and articulation between non-governmental organisations and UN agencies in the Shelter Cluster in order to provide rapid response teams and to rapidly follow-through on their work to improve responses to sudden onset and large scale emergencies.

· For Shelter, the engagement of satellite mapping technology coordinated with the Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) to assist the Shelter Cluster with needs assessment in large scale emergencies.

· For Food Assistance, improving cost-effectiveness through scaling up the use of measures such as food vouchers rather than the importing of bulk food over long distances; and for Nutrition, setting improved international standards on how best to manage acute malnutrition.

2. Interinstitutional relations and cooperation with other donors and partners

2.1. Council Working Group on Humanitarian Aid and Food Aid (COHAFA)

The work of COHAFA, successfully launched at the start of 2009, continued under the rotating Hungarian and Polish EU Presidencies in 2011. Having a dedicated forum for regular policy exchange by Member States and the Commission experts represents a qualitative jump in the evolution of a more coherent and co-ordinated EU approach to humanitarian policy and action.

Throughout the year, the working group, which brings together mostly representatives from EU capitals, met 17 times out of which twice exclusively in response to a sudden onset emergency (in Libya in March, Horn of Africa in July). There were also two informal meetings of COHAFA in Budapest and Warsaw allowing for an informal exchange of views on topics of strategic importance for the work of the working party.

In its first three years of work, COHAFA has made progress in establishing itself as the Council point of reference for questions on humanitarian aid. Input is provided on a regular basis to other geographical groups, and, via these groups, to PSC[12], COREPER[13] and the Foreign Affairs or General Affairs Councils.

On a strategic level, COHAFA has allowed the European Union to increase the coherence of the Commission and Member States’ humanitarian aid activities: there is an annual exchange on individual humanitarian aid policies and budgets (this took place in several stages at the beginning of 2011), policies produced by the Commission are often referred to or repeated by Member States, individual EU donor activities in specific crises are better coordinated and EU positions on specific issues are discussed ahead of international meetings. On a day-to-day basis, the work of the group was facilitated by the Commission’s initiative to spread widely its situation reports on specific humanitarian crises and other information products like Factsheets, which have quickly become one major source of information for a wide audience of stakeholders.

Under the Belgian Presidency of the EU, COHAFA undertook to review its mandate, which was considered to provide a good basis for the future work of the group. However, in the course of this review it was also felt that COHAFA should follow new working methods aimed at improving visibility, outputs, results and impact of its work even further. This renewed working methods were endorsed in January 2011 and since then COHAFA has made efforts of better linking its work with the one of other Council bodies (geographical working parties but also the working parties on development cooperation and civil protection).

2.2. Council Working Group on Civil Protection (PROCIV)

PROCIV is the Council working group that deals with civil protection policy for the Justice and Home Affairs Council. Meetings occurred 9 times in 2011, covering the full range of civil protection policy and operational issues: response, preparedness and prevention, risk assessment, including discussions on the major disasters that occurred in 2011.

A specific focus of the working group was discussing and agreeing on 3 sets of Council conclusions that were subsequently adopted as I/A items[14] by the Council. These Conclusions call on Member States and the Commission to step up existing actions and also to take new measures to strengthen disaster management in the EU.

The subjects covered during the Presidency were "Integrated Flood Management" (Council document number 9241/11), and "Further Developing Risk Assessment for Disaster Management within the European Union" (Council document number 8068/11).

During the Polish EU Presidency conclusions were adopted on: "Integrated approach to more effective risk, emergency and crisis communication" (Council document number 17122/11).

2.3. Cooperation with other EU institutions, donors and partners

The main activities focussed on following the day-to-day work of the main European Parliament committees of interest for the work of DG ECHO (mainly DEVE[15]/AFET[16] and ENVI[17] for civil protection matters). DG ECHO worked closely with the members of the DEVE Committee in particular to raise awareness and interest in humanitarian issues and assisted the Parliament's services in organizing several field missions. Meetings with the Chair of the DEVE Committee (Ms Eva Joly), the standing Humanitarian Rapporteur (Ms Michele Striffler) and other Members were held to discuss humanitarian policy and operational issues.

Commissioner Georgieva regularly attended EP Committees (DEVE and ENVI) to conduct the so-called "structured dialogue" with the European Parliament in the areas of her portfolio. These occasions were used to brief the European Parliament about current and future policy initiatives and priorities, both in the field of humanitarian aid and civil protection, as well as to inform about the Commission's response to specific crises.

Throughout the year Commissioner Georgieva visited a greater number of EU capitals to meet her counterparts in the field of humanitarian aid and civil protection. The purposes of these visits were the presentation of her newly created portfolio as well as an exchange of views on her policy priorities and issues of concern to Member States. Particular emphasis was put on contacts with Member States holding or about to hold the rotating Presidency in the Council.

Commissioner Georgieva did regularly attend meetings of the Council of Ministers (Foreign/Development and General Affairs Councils) for discussions within her portfolio either on specific crisis or on policy initiatives such as a stronger European disaster response or linking relief with reconstruction and development. The Commissioner did also carry out a number of field missions outside of Europe (e.g. Horn of Africa, Myanmar, South-East Asia).

Throughout the year, DG ECHO and Commissioner Georgieva maintained regular contact with relevant international organisations, in particular the UN and the Red Cross Movement, on policy development and operational issues. Regular meetings were held with key partners. Special emphasis was placed on close cooperation with the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos, notably on the "transformative agenda" which the IASC agreed in 2011 to further strengthen the international humanitarian system in the areas of Leadership, Coordination, Accountability, Global Capacity for Preparedness as well as Advocacy and Communications.

DG ECHO took part in UN and Red Cross Movement related meetings and processes, mainly in New York, Geneva and Rome, in close liaison with the relevant EU Delegations. Through active participation in the OCHA and ICRC Donor Support Groups, and through its permanent observer status at WFP Executive Board meetings and in the UNHCR’s Executive Committee, DG ECHO provided inputs to strategic decision-making and guidance at these organisations. DG ECHO continued to promote EU-coordinated positions, resolutions and statements in UN bodies reflecting Commission policy.

Throughout the year DG ECHO had contacts with non-EU donors both at operational level and in the field and at policy level at HQ. These included a strategic dialogue with the US in November and other meetings with other key and non-traditional donors.

DG ECHO contributed to an outreach forum in Budapest, co-organised by Hungary and OCHA in October for senior level officials from 18 countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

3. Implementation of humanitarian aid and civil protection in 2011

3.1. A needs-based approach

In line with the Treaty, the Humanitarian Aid Regulation and the Consensus, the Commission, through DG ECHO, is committed to delivering aid to populations affected by natural or man-made disasters solely on the basis of need. In order to establish its priorities for intervention DG ECHO follows a three-pronged approach:

§ This first relies on the specific country/region evaluation of needs conducted by ECHO field experts and the respective geographical units of DG ECHO. This analysis by experts not only provides a first hand account of crisis areas, it also gives an insight into the nature and the severity of needs. DG ECHO field experts conduct such assessments for every crisis, as objectively as possible and in close cooperation with the Commission's implementing partners.

§ For DG ECHO's single largest aid sector – food assistance/nutrition - a specific food insecurity needs assessment is carried out in the countries/regions with food assistance/nutrition interventions. The specific needs-based analysis is reinforced with reports from field mission, nutrition and food indicators, an assessment of the potential funding from other donors and the possible capacity and access limitations faced by implementing partners. The sectoral analysis is validated by and dovetailed with the global needs assessment established by DG ECHO.

§ In parallel, a global evaluation is carried out centrally, which compares countries, in order to identify the priority areas for DG ECHO interventions. This global evaluation has two dimensions: the global needs assessment (GNA) which categorises 139 developing countries that have recently experienced a crisis (caused by conflict, natural disaster, or the presence of a large number of refugees or displaced people) and the extent to which their populations are vulnerable (derived from national indicators) and the forgotten crisis assessment (FCA). Both the GNA and the FCA are invaluable tools in determining impartially and independently where the Commission's aid is most likely to be necessary. They also facilitate ensuring parity and consistency in the allocation of resources across continents and countries. The methodology and results for these assessments are explained in further detail in the next sections.

In the final calibration of allocations, other considerations such as access restrictions or lack of handling capacity in the field are also be borne in mind. Throughout this exercise DG ECHO actively communicates and co-ordinates with other relevant actors (humanitarian aid organisations, EU Member States and other donors). DG ECHO is amongst the first among the donor community to establish and share detailed assessments and budgetary allocations for the countries/crises in which it intervenes for the year ahead. DG ECHO also seeks to engage actively in dialogue throughout the year with other donors, both at HQ and in the field, on funding intentions in different crises, not least in the context of the Good Humanitarian Donorship initiative.

Following the trend over the last three years, more than half of DG ECHO’s budget is spent on countries which the Global Needs Assessment identifies as extremely vulnerable. In 2011, DG ECHO identified 22 extremely vulnerable countries or territories which received humanitarian aid and food assistance worth 65 % of the final budget dedicated to operations in countries and regions. Where allocations are made for aid in countries identified as being of medium or low priority, this may be because they experience disasters after the publication of the needs assessment.

Using the FCA methodology, DG ECHO identified 10 crises in 12 countries as ‘forgotten’ for the purposes of allocating 2011 funding. This classification is understood to mean the regions have been exposed to protracted crisis situations, resulting from conflict; the cumulative effect of recurring natural disasters; or a combination of both. Very low media coverage, lack of donor interest and lack of political commitment to solve the crisis mean a lack of humanitarian intervention. Forgotten crises often involve minorities, or specific groups within a country which is not necessarily considered as being in crisis. This is why national indicators used to define the vulnerability index or the level of public aid may not reflect the specific situation of the cohorts that DG ECHO may pinpoint as being in need of aid.

Among the ten crises identified as priorities for 2011, nine had already been identified as forgotten in 2010:

– Rohingya refugees and the Chittagong Hill Tracts crisis in Bangladesh;

– Inter-ethnic conflict in Burma (Myanmar);

– The related Burmese refugee situation in Thailand;

– Civilians affected by internal armed conflict in Colombia;

– The conflict in the north of Yemen as well as the refugees from the Horn of Africa;

– Sahrawi refugees in Algeria;

– Internal armed conflict in Central African Republic;

– Bhutanese refugees in Nepal;

– Civilians affected by regional conflicts in India (Kashmir, north-east India, Naxalite movement).

– Areas of Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan affected by the presence of the Lord's Resistance Army: a newly-identified regional forgotten crisis: a continued series of brutal attacks has caused massive population displacements and has thus aggravated the situation of people who were already highly vulnerable, without attracting sufficient media or donor attention – media attention has focused much more on efforts to defeat the LRA rather than on the victims of their attacks.

3.2. Top 10 humanitarian crises in terms of funding allocations

EU humanitarian funding in 2011 for the top ten recipients was €663 million, or 66% of the total operational budget resources allocated to countries and regions[18].

3.3. Sub-Saharan Africa

In 2011, humanitarian aid and food assistance operations were funded for a total amount of €556.5 million, or 48% of the total budget managed by DG ECHO. The main areas funded were Sudan and South Sudan, countries affected by the severe drought in the Horn of Africa, R.D. Congo, Sahel and Côte d'Ivoire which received 85% of the amount allocated to Africa.

The EU continued to fund ECHO-Flight, a service for humanitarian operators in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo and Kenya.

3.3.1. Sudan/South Sudan and Chad, Central Africa

Sudan and South Sudan

In 2011 DG ECHO delivered humanitarian aid to over 5 million Internally Displaced People (IDPs), refugees, returnees, host communities and nomads in Sudan and South Sudan. In Darfur serious protection and security issues remain, with over 2.5 million people still reliant on humanitarian assistance, including 1.9 million IDPs, 80,000 people recently displaced by violence, 40,000 refugees from Chad, and 500,000 residents and nomads. However, access constraints because of administrative impediments and insecurity seriously reduced the presence of humanitarian actors on the ground. The extremely difficult conditions under which partners have been working inevitably affects the quantity and quality of aid delivered. The outbreak of conflict in mid-2011 in South Kordofan and Blue Nile States has affected 500,000 people, on top of the 50,000 refugees who fled to South Sudan and the 37,000 refugees who fled to Ethiopia. With very few exceptions, the government has denied access to international organisations to assess the situation, carry out humanitarian activities and replenish diminishing stocks, despite continuous advocacy efforts. The situation is of grave concern, but the lack of first hand information makes it difficult to know the extent and severity of the situation. Disputes in the Abyei area have left 100,000 people displaced. The East continues to have some of the worst malnutrition indicators in the region, and hosts 88,000 Eritrean refugees. The humanitarian situation in South Sudan, which became an independent country during 2011, worsened with 330,000 conflict-related IDPs, inter-ethnic clashes, deteriorated food security, high malnutrition rates and epidemic outbreaks. Integrating the 357,000 people who have returned from Sudan since 30 October 2010 is proving a massive challenge for many areas and is putting pressure on basic services which were already scarce.

Five main objectives were targeted in 2011: (1) providing life-saving services to the most vulnerable populations in Darfur, South Sudan, Eastern Sudan and the Transitional Areas; (2) supporting emergency preparedness and response (EP&R) mechanisms in areas of South Sudan and Eastern Sudan affected by conflict, flooding, disease outbreaks, high levels of malnutrition and areas of high return – this has proved to be particularly successful in South Sudan, with most partners including EP&R components in their interventions, allowing them to respond to new emergencies; (3) providing food aid to highly food-insecure populations throughout Sudan and South Sudan; (4) supporting common services such as air transport, co-ordination, logistic services and security assessments – in this way DG ECHO has helped to ensure a safer environment for the effective and principled delivery of humanitarian aid and (5) advocacy, information and communication activities to secure better access and working conditions for humanitarian agencies.

Out of the allocation to Sudan and South Sudan, general food distributions represented the largest single element both in terms of overall funding and coverage, with 3.7 million beneficiaries in Sudan and one million in South Sudan. Life-saving activities (29%) were supported in the sectors of health, water, sanitation and hygiene, shelter, non food items (NFI) and nutrition. Substantial support was given to EP&R (25%) and common services (4.5%).

Chad

In 2011 DG ECHO assisted 2.2 million people in response to four major humanitarian crises in the country: (1) refugees and IDPs from the conflict in the East and South; (2) the nutrition and food security crisis created by the drought in the Sahel belt; (3) the influx of tens of thousands of returning migrants from Libya; and (4) response to the unprecedentedly large cholera outbreak.

In the East priority continued to be the provision of life-saving services (health, nutrition, food security, water/sanitation, shelter and NFIs) to 267,000 Sudanese refugees, 131,000 IDPs, 50,000 returnees and their host communities, whilst aiming to bring these populations into self-reliance in the medium term. In the South, given the positive results of LRRD[19] and the engagement of EU development funds, DG ECHO has progressively disengaged from assistance to the 64,000 Central African refugees, providing only targeted assistance to the most vulnerable in camps and to new arrivals.

In the Sahel belt nutrition, livelihood and food security support were provided to 1.6 million food-insecure people. Signs of recovery were being reported, but then in September a new food crisis broke out due to harvest failure. Without international aid the poorest households will be at risk of facing an important food deficit (hunger gap) earlier in the year. The overall economic situation in Chad has also been badly hit by the Libyan crisis: returnees coming back and putting additional pressure on vulnerable populations, loss of remittances from Chadians working in Libya, and the drying up of the supply of various products from Libya at advantageous prices. Over 85,000 Chadian returnees from Libya were supported through the provision of transport, health, food, water and protection services.

At national level DG ECHO continued to promote humanitarian coordination and support common transport services. Support to Emergency Preparedness and Response enabled a timely response to the meningitis, measles and cholera epidemics that hit more than 30,000 people in 2011.

Burundi and Tanzania

In 2011, DG ECHO assisted 391,000 people in Burundi and Tanzania affected by displacement and conflict. The focus in Burundi was on multi-sectoral assistance to 21,000 Congolese refugees in three camps, protection activities for a further 20,000 and finalisation of LRRD in the health and nutrition sectors. Primary and secondary healthcare was provided to 225,000 people and emergency nutrition for 25,000 children under 5. The design and implementation of an LRRD strategy in close collaboration with the EU Delegation and other development actors has enabled DG ECHO to withdraw from all sectors other than the specific support to refugees in camps and assistance for repatriation and reintegration. Refugees have been unwilling to return to Burundi, so repatriation levels have been low. The basic needs of the few who did return from Tanzania were covered in the initial period after return.

In Tanzania, food, health, water, education and protection support was given to the 37,000 Burundian refugees in Mtablia camp and the 63,000 Congolese in Nyarugusu camp. Funding was also given to maintain the logistical capacity to support the voluntary repatriation of refugees to Burundi and DRC, even though repatriation levels from the camps fell to a very low level, due to the security situation in DRC and an unwillingness to move on the part of the Burundians. In May the Tanzanian government announced its intention to close Mtabila camp by the end of 2011 and repatriate its residents to Burundi. After considerable advocacy efforts, in which DG ECHO fully participated, this deadline was postponed to the end of 2012, and the EU funded an in-depth individual interview exercise, conducted jointly by UNHCR and the Tanzanian government, to identify which of the Mtabila residents were still in need of international protection.

Central African Republic (CAR)

The overall humanitarian context of CAR remains complex, with a shifting canvas of both conflict and post-conflict situations, against a background of chronic poverty, high levels of malnutrition, structural collapse, absence of infrastructure and lack of basic services. During the year, conflict levels once again increased as a result of the faltering Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) process, the resumption of activities by certain rebel movements, cross-border insecurity with Chad and Sudan/South Sudan and LRA attacks. The North and the North-East are the areas most affected by fighting between rebel groups – the pattern is often unpredictable, with alliances and ceasefires quickly being agreed and broken – while the South-East is the area targeted by the LRA. CAR is designated by DG ECHO as a forgotten crisis and remains a highly volatile context, with significant access and security constraints.

In 2011 DG ECHO provided assistance and relief to 255,000 vulnerable people, including IDPs, refugees and local people in the most difficult regions of CAR in terms of security and access, namely the Central North, North-East and South-East of the country. Funding was used to tackle the consequences of population movements, conflicts between rebel groups and LRA attacks. The main sectors of intervention related to access to safe drinking water, sanitation facilities and hygiene related assistance, access to basic health care, protection, and provision of seeds and tools and NFIs. DG ECHO also supported the rehabilitation of infrastructures, humanitarian coordination (via OCHA) and the humanitarian air transport service (UNHAS). In September 2011 additional funds were made available to respond to an outbreak of cholera.

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Despite some improvements in the humanitarian situation in parts of the East of the country (North Kivu and Province Orientale), more than one million IDPs in DRC have been newly displaced or are still unable to return home and regain self-sufficiency. In South Kivu parts of North Kivu and Haut and Bas Uélé (Orientale), security continues to be disrupted by the conflicts between numerous armed groups and with the Congolese army (FARDC), generally with the objective of gaining or maintaining control over natural resources. Violence against civilians is perpetrated with almost complete impunity, causing repeated cycles of displacement. In Haut and Bas Uélé less than 100 fighters from the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) have created such a climate of terror that 250,000 people remain displaced. The working environment in DRC is extremely difficult: logistics are a constant challenge due to the lack of basic infrastructure. Security in some of the zones where DG ECHO operates has become more and more problematic, with an increasing number of restricted areas and a substantial number of attacks on humanitarian workers.

In Equateur province there is now only a residual caseload of IDPs, with many spontaneous returns of refugees from Republic of Congo. Unless the security situation changes, this trend is likely to continue in 2012. However, infrastructure and access to basic services remain very limited in this province. In Kasai Occidental there was a big increase in arrivals of economic migrants deported from Angola: 50,000 to 80,000 people, including families, women and unaccompanied children. As well as putting the local population under pressure and affecting access to basic services such as health care, there are serious protection concerns for these people. After having monitored the situation and assisted some partners in 2011, DG ECHO will increase its assistance in 2012 to Congolese deported from Angola into Kasai Occidental. In 2011 DG ECHO launched also a substantial new nutrition response in non-conflict areas (the Kasais and Bandundu), to address severe malnutrition problems that have been identified by several surveys over the past three years. This response is complementary to actions of other humanitarian donors and of food security development programmes.

In a country at the very bottom of the Human Development Index, DG ECHO's response strategy focused on the consequences of conflict-induced displacement and on protection-related issues. 51% of the funding was allocated to the North East, North and South-Kivu and Haut and Bas-Uele. In 2011, across the country as a whole, DG ECHO assisted more than two million people. The issues arising from sexual and gender-based violence continued to be integrated into all health programmes, as well as there being some more specialised projects assisting survivors. Surveillance and response to recurrent epidemics in DRC (mainly cholera and measles) and contingency planning were also part of the 2011 programmes.

DG ECHO has strengthened the coordination of humanitarian aid by supporting the role of OCHA and the cluster system in DRC and the Good Humanitarian Donorship (GHD) group, which continues to foster active co-operation among donors. It is extremely relevant, in view of the growing number of funding instruments and programmes in place in the Eastern part of the country, including those being implemented on the initiative of the Congolese authorities.

ECHO Flight

Because of the logistical and security-related access problems in a number of countries, the Commission implements a flight service focusing on DRC and its neighbouring areas and in Kenya. ECHO Flight provides an efficient and reliable service to enable safe and accountable implementation of humanitarian projects and post-emergency development projects in remote regions, which would otherwise be inaccessible. The service is closely coordinated with other humanitarian air services and avoids duplication and competition with safe, viable commercial airlines. The drought in the Horn of Africa and the insecurity in DRC in 2011 led to partners asking for an increased level of service. Therefore, DG ECHO increased the flight frequency and the number of destinations in some regions and reorganised the routes in others. In 2011 a fourth aircraft was brought into service in order to respond to the global increase in flight hours.

A mix of fixed and flexible schedules as well as ad-hoc tasking for special operations such as the polio outbreak in Republic of Congo and cargo transport to the Haut and Bas Uélé regions of DRC is offered to partners. ECHO Flight enables humanitarian NGOs to reduce their inventory stockpiles at field locations, which often run the risk of theft by armed bandits or local militias, and increases the quality of humanitarian operations since supervisory visits can be conducted more frequently. In addition, having an airborne stand-by evacuation capacity is for many agencies an essential condition for continuing projects implementation. In 2011 ECHO Flight transported more than 18,826 passengers and 376.5 tonnes of humanitarian cargo, all from recognised international organisations implementing humanitarian and, to a smaller extent, development projects.

Republic of Congo

In the course of 2011 the situation of the 100,000 refugees that had fled over the Ubangi River from the Equateur Province, the country turned into a care and maintenance situation where people developed coping mechanisms and re-established strong links with their former home areas. Therefore, DG ECHO ended its humanitarian assistance in the first half of 2011 and focused instead on improving the basic social services in the areas of return. In parallel, DG ECHO also made an urgent response to a polio epidemic that killed more than 200 people and affected more than 500 others mainly in the Pointe Noire area. A rapid humanitarian intervention involving several actors was quickly launched in order to efficiently stop the propagation of this epidemic.

Areas affected by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) presence

LRA attacks range over an extensive part of North East DRC (Haut and Bas-Uélé), Eastern CAR and the southern part of South Sudan (Western Equatoria), and cause massive displacement levels throughout this area. In 2011, this was designated as a forgotten crisis by DG ECHO. In order to raise awareness of the crisis and to improve the coherence of the humanitarian response, a two-day Humanitarian Round Table was held in Nairobi in April 2011, bringing for the first time together fifty key humanitarian actors from these three countries and from Uganda, where the LRA originated. A series of detailed recommendations were produced and are being applied in the field. Among these, a key point is the need for a central humanitarian focal point for LRA-affected areas and the importance of more cross-border humanitarian responses to the crisis.

3.3.2. Horn of Africa

In 2011, a major humanitarian crisis developed in the Horn of Africa consisting of a combination of high food prices, failed rains seasons, increased population displacements mainly caused by ongoing violent conflict in Somalia, and restricted humanitarian access, leading to a rapid deterioration of the food security and nutritional status of vulnerable populations, further aggravated by underlying poverty and reduced coping capacities. In the second half of 2011, more than 13 million people were affected by the crisis. DG ECHO responded by mobilizing more than €181 million to assist the most vulnerable population groups in the region.

Table - Breakdown of funding (commitments) for the Horn of Africa

|| Humanitarian Aid || Food Aid || EDF || Total

Djibouti || || 2 000 000 || 600 000 || 2 600 000

Ethiopia || 12 360 000 || 23 500 000 || 15 000 000 || 50 860 000

Kenya || 21 770 000 || 13 900 000 || 12 200 000 || 47 870 000

Somalia || 45 100 000 || 31 900 000 || || 77 000 000

Uganda || 3 000 000 || || || 3 000 000

TOTAL || 82 230 000 || 71 300 000 || 27 800 000 || 181 330 000

Djibouti

Food insecurity also continued to persist in all pastoral livelihood zones as well as in poor urban areas of Djibouti. In 2011 the EU funded activities to support nutrition programmes, food assistance, as well as a smaller caseload of refugees mainly from Somalia.

Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, the drought affected some 4.5 million people, mainly in need of food assistance and water. In addition, there was a rapid upsurge of Somali refugees into Dolo Ado areas of the Somali Regional State of Ethiopia, and an increase in the influx of Sudanese refugees in the western parts of Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State. Whereas the former was mainly caused by conflict, drought and famine in Somalia, the latter was due to military operations in the Blue Nile Region of the Sudan. The total number of refugees in Dolo Ado Camps reached 140,000 at the end of the year and the registered number of Sudanese refugees was over 23,000.

DG ECHO focused its operations on the support of vulnerable population groups in the sectors of health, food assistance (including food aid, nutritional support, short-term food security and livelihood support), and water/sanitation. Access as well as humanitarian space remained constrained. In Somali Regional State and Gambella, some areas were only sporadically accessible.

Eritrea

In Eritrea, by contrast, the Government continued to deny possibilities for independent humanitarian needs assessment and project implementation in accordance with relevant standards.

Kenya

Also Kenya faced a severe humanitarian crisis mainly due to the drought, with the highest malnutrition rates of the last decade recorded in some areas of the arid lands. In 2011, some 3.75 million people suffered from food insecurity. Moreover, a massive influx from Somali people fleeing conflict and famine led to a severe refugee crisis, and resulting in the camp Dadaab in North-Eastern Kenya growing into the biggest refugee camp in the world, with a population of close to 500,000 people. In addition, over 23,000 new refugees were registered in Kakuma camp, Turkana, and in Nairobi. The protection of refugees in the North-Eastern Province has become of increasing concern over the year. Also the security situation has deteriorated considerably since October 2011, leading to temporary suspensions of key humanitarian operations in around Dadaab refugee camps.

The allocation for Kenya in 2011 was used to support refugees (food, water, health and sanitation and protection) and contribute to the improvement of food and nutrition security in the arid lands. In addition, more than 200,000 children and pregnant or lactating women were provided with specialized assistance. Moreover, specific Disaster Risk Reduction programmes were implemented accompanied with advocacy efforts to encourage relevant actors to further enhance their engagement strengthening the resilience of vulnerable populations in the arid and semi-arid lands.

Somalia

This country represented the epicentre of the crisis. In mid-2011, famine was declared in six areas of the country and the number of people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance grew to four million, most of which in the southern part of the country under the control of Al Shaabab/Armed Opposition Groups. The number of people at risk of starvation rose to 750,000. Continuous conflict, mainly in the South and Central regions, and also involving military forces of neighboring countries, led to additional displacements. The number of IDPs increased to 1.46 million, the number of Somali refugees in neighbouring contries to almost one million.

Fighting for control of territory and the targeting of humanitarian assets and staff has continued to considerably restrict the implementation of humanitarian actions. In November, 16 humanitarian agencies operating in the Central-South regions were expelled by armed opposition groups. Key life saving programmes were severely affected.

DG ECHO supported a large variety of humanitarian interventions in health care, nutrition, food security, water/sanitation, with a focus on newly displaced persons and drought response initiatives. In view of the rapid deterioration of the humanitarian situation over the year, the Commission increased its initial 2011 allocation for Somalia, reaching an estimated 1.8 million people.

While sustained aid contributed to push back famine in most parts of south and central Somalia, and despite favourable short rain season at the end of 2011, millions of people remained in a severe food security and nutrition crisis.

Uganda

The country being only marginally affected by the Horn of Africa crisis, DG ECHO interventions remained mainly limited to the strengthening of the integrated management of the acute malnutrition and to reinforce the primary health care in the Karamoja, and to the support of the IDP return process in the Acholi region. While DG ECHO's office in Uganda was closed in late 2011, the ECHO Regional Office in Nairobi will continue to monitor the situation.

Throughout the year 2011, the implementation of the 2010 DG ECHO programme on disaster risk reduction (DRR) aimed at the strengthening of the resilience of vulnerable population groups continued, and contributed to improve the capacities of targeted communities at risk to better prepare and protect themselves against natural hazards such as drought.

An evaluation conducted in 2010 and 2011 concluded that there are substantial funding and strategic gaps for paving the transition to development, and recommended a number of operational measures in this regard.

3.3.3. West Africa

West Africa is one of the poorest and most under-developed regions of the world. The Commission allocated €104 million[20] to this region. Most part of the population lives in rural areas and relies mainly on subsistence agriculture. Food production in the Sahel relies mainly on erratic rainfall and livestock is reared to harsh environmental conditions aggravated by climate changes.

Sahel and coastal States

Acute malnutrition rates in the Sahel zone of West Africa (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger) remained persistently above internationally recognized alert thresholds, with some 1.5 million children under 5 years of age suffering from malnutrition. Food and nutrition insecurity is due mainly to under-investment in agriculture and food production, high demographic growth, high illiteracy rates especially amongst females, low access to basic heath care and clean water and poor governance. The region is in the front line of climate change and victim to international food price movements. The current local systems are not able to cope with the shock of a large-scale additional crisis.

Although the generally good harvest in 2010 provided more food security to many vulnerable households, in 2011 there were production losses in some areas caused by heavy flooding and crop pests. An important factor aggravating the already worse situation in 2011 has been the spill-over from the crises in Côte d’Ivoire and Libya which have led to the mass return of migrant-workers to their Sahel countries of origin, greatly reducing remittances to dependent local economies. Threats and attacks by extremist groups have continued to seriously reduce humanitarian assessments and access to those in need. Kidnappings of expatriates remained an increasing risk. A surge in violent incidents in Nigeria attributed to Boko Haram was of additional concern.

DG ECHO action in the Sahel was focused on reducing acute malnutrition of children under-5 and pregnant and nursing women in a sustainable way, and to support for the post-crisis livelihoods recovery of the victims of last year's food crisis. Support focused on treating the most at risk children (over 200,000 severely malnourished children were treated in 2011), and on raising awareness of the multi-sector causes of acute malnutrition.

DG ECHO's strategy continued to include the objective of positioning the fight against malnutrition at the centre of government policies and development aid programming. Further progress was made in establishing a dialogue with governments and development partners on the need for long-term, sustainable policies and programmes to tackle malnutrition in a structured way and to encourage the integration of humanitarian action into the national health system. DG ECHO also continued to support the implementation of routine rapid nutrition surveys to improve access to reliable baseline information and to support the Household Economy Analysis (HEA) all over the region to constantly get accurate levels of acute malnutrition and information on poorest households.

In addition to the funds allocated to the fight against malnutrition, an emergency decision was adopted in response to the growing food crisis which is expected to cause a massive lack of food in 2012. The cause is again low food production as a result of the poor harvest following erratic rains during the 2011/2012 agricultural season and rapidly rising food prices.

Côte d'Ivoire

Côte d'Ivoire suffered major humanitarian consequences of the post-election crisis, which affected 1.5 million people in Abidjan and the Western regions and led 200,000 people to seek refuge in Liberia, Ghana and Togo.

In Côte d’Ivoire, medical assistance was provided to the war-wounded victims, with access to health facilities, food and clean water/sanitation for the displaced, shelter for those who have lost or who have had to flee their homes, protection for the most vulnerable, especially women and children victims of abuse, eventually support to the LRRD transition to longer term aid and the resumption of basic services.

While the security situation had already improved on most of the territory upon the election of President Alassane Ouattara and the creation of his government, a very high level of insecurity persisted which caused disarray in government services, hampered movements of aid workers and negatively impacted on the provision of humanitarian assistance.

Medical structures were disrupted by violence, shortage of drugs, disruptions in supply, transport and security constraints, departure of staff and were not able to cope with the number of victims. Sanitary conditions deteriorated quickly, with electricity cuts in the North, destruction in the West, water cuts and limited access to safe water. DG ECHO’s partners provided emergency assistance to the displaced and victims of violence, and supported health structures, including vaccination campaigns to prevent the outbreak of contagious diseases.

The crisis also had an immediate negative impact on late harvesting and commercial food traffic, resulting in increased food prices which left hundreds of thousands in a situation of food insecurity. DG ECHO initially provided emergency food assistance to cover immediate needs and assisted households, especially among returnees, to restore their agricultural production or other income generating activities.

Ivorian refugees in Liberia, Ghana, Togo

In Liberia, Ghana and Togo, DG ECHO supported shelter and care programmes for Ivoirian refugees accommodated in campsites and host families, despite the challenge of access and insecurity. Protection issues were a concern in areas close to the border or the region of fighting.

A Tripartite Agreement was signed in August 2011 with Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire to establish the repatriation modalities for Ivorian refugees. It is foreseen that the majority of the population displaced had spontaneously returned home by the end of the year. A similar trend was seen in parts of the western region with an estimated 100,000 spontaneous returns (out of 200,000) from neighbouring countries. DG ECHO assisted the voluntary repatriation and reinstallation process with the restoration of basic services and livelihood mechanisms as well as measures to protect civilians.

Liberia

In 2011, the overall situation remained difficult in Liberia, due to a dysfunctional public sector lacking qualified human resources and with relevant services provided by international aid agencies. This situation continued to cause humanitarian needs notably in the sectors of health, nutrition, as well as in water/sanitation, where the situation remained critical in numerous rural communities as well as in urban areas, especially Monrovia, where regular cholera outbreaks occur.

In order to address this situation, DG ECHO contributed to the provision of safe water, safe human waste disposal and health education. DG ECHO also supported paediatric services in two hospitals in Monrovia, as well as the rehabilitation and operation of 53 health facilities. In the course of 2011, these latter programs were successfully handed over to development donors. The government and aid agencies also had to respond to an influx of up to 180,000 Ivorian refugees seeking asylum in the remote eastern part of Liberia. (see also Côte d'Ivoire).

3.3.4. Southern Africa

The funding for this region in 2011 was €10 million, totally dedicated to Zimbabwe.

Table - Breakdown of funding (commitments) for Southern Africa

|| Humanitarian Aid || Total

Zimbabwe || 10 000 000 || 10 000 000

TOTAL || 10 000 000 || 10 000 000

Zimbabwe

The humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe further stabilized in 2011, enabling DG ECHO to continue its approach of gradually phasing out its assistance to the country, and to reduce its allocation. The assistance included emergency assistance for newly displaced, returnees and deportees. DG ECHO also remained one of the largest donors in the areas of health, water/sanitation in Zimbabwe, promoting an integrated public health approach aimed at tackling potential epidemics like cholera, measles or typhoid. Significant investments were made in disease surveillance and early warning systems as well as in emergency treatment facilities to be used during outbreaks. DG ECHO has also engaged in improvement of urban water supply facilities of the areas more at risk and supported food security interventions aimed at improving diet diversity and additional sources of income for the most vulnerable segments of the population.

An evaluation of the response to the cholera epidemics in Zimbabwe was carried out in 2011. The evaluation highlighted the effectiveness of the urgency measures taken, and recommended that further efforts should be made during the transition process to consolidate the Health institutions progress achieved during the cholera crisis.

Regional action in Southern Africa - Disaster Risk Reduction

Although spared from major disasters in 2011, the Southern African region remained extremely vulnerable to natural events, in particular tropical cyclones and floods. In the first part of 2011, DG ECHO assisted in alleviating the effects of cyclone Bingiza as well as of the floods in Madagascar and Northern Namibia. Moreover, the second Disaster Preparedness (DIPECHO) Action Plan for South-East Africa and the South-West Indian Ocean, launched in 2010 was completed successfully, with actions focussing on decreasing the vulnerability of local communities and enhancing relevant capacities of local institutions (through i.e. improved early warning systems, shelter, as well as better grains and seeds' production and storage).

The evaluation on disaster preparedness and disaster risk reduction actions in Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean finalised in January 2012 concluded that DIPECHO strategies in Southern Africa addressed the needs of regions and communities particularly exposed to the selected priority hazards, and was effective in preparing communities for a local response to disasters. However, ensuring the replication of successful projects at other levels, as well as the sustainability of the efforts, would require a more strategic approach at country level, with a reinforced partnership of DRR and development actors.

3.4. Middle East and Mediterranean

3.4.1. Middle East

DG ECHO continued to be involved in preserving the dignity of its beneficiaries in the Middle East region in 2011. Apart from the Palestinian, Iraqi and Yemen crises, the Commission also closely monitored the humanitarian situation in Syria since the start of the civil unrest in March 2011. The Commission prepared a contingency planning in view of a possible intervention in Syria in case the humanitarian situation further deteriorates.

Palestinian population in the occupied Palestinian territory and refugees in Lebanon

2011 was marked by significant political developments in the region and in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). These included the start of reconciliation talks between the two main Palestinian political factions, Fatah and Hamas, in May, the Palestine application for full membership at the United Nations in September, and a subsequent campaign to join individual UN organisations (Palestine became member of UNESCO in October). Israel and Hamas agreed on a prisoner swap for the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, held prisoner by Hamas since June 2006, in exchange for 1,027 Palestinian prisoners. However, the stalemate in direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation prevented any political progress.

There have been some positive trends on the ground such as the Palestinian National Development Plan for 2011-2013 and some economic growth in Gaza, albeit starting from a very low base. However, these trends are considered unsustainable as long as the main aspects of the Israeli occupation remain in place: the blockade imposed on Gaza since 2007 placing severe restrictions on movements of people and goods on land, air and sea; restrictions on access and movements between Gaza and the West Bank, and within the West Bank to areas located behind the Barrier, the Jordan Valley, and to land in the vicinity of Israeli settlements.

Consequently, the situation of the vulnerable Palestinians has not fundamentally changed. Day-to-day life in Gaza, in Area C of the West Bank and in East Jerusalem continued to be characterised by serious protection and human rights issues, and by limited access to essential services and to livelihood opportunities. In addition to its impact on economic and social development, the situation of occupation continued to fuel violence with an increase by 30% of civilian casualties in Gaza and the West Bank compared to 2010. There was also a rise in demolitions, forced evictions, and a 40% increase in the number of settler attacks resulting in casualties, property and livelihood damage targeting in particular Bedouins and herder communities in Area C.

Commissioner Georgieva visited these communities in May 2011. She subsequently raised the issues of Bedouin communities and demolitions with Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak. Concern was expressed about the dependence of the populations on humanitarian assistance and the urgency of offering them more sustainable solutions.

Operations in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip were also funded, including the response to the 2011 drought that threatened the livelihoods of many of the herding communities in the West Bank. 54% of the total allocation supported directly the population of Gaza. In addition to humanitarian actions with a direct impact on people's living conditions, the Commission paid particular attention to the prevention of violations of international humanitarian law. Close and effective coordination was maintained with other donors to ensure that humanitarian assistance and other programmes complement each other, in particular Pegase[21].

In Lebanon, 2011 was marked by political tensions around the formation of a government that translated into security incidents, notably attacks on UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Forces) and incidents along the Lebanese and Israel blue line border. Refugee camps across the country witnessed military and civil unrest, including security threats against UNWRA. Since March 2011, more than 5,000 people displaced from Syria arrived in Northern Lebanon, many of them staying with relatives. Relief efforts were coordinated by the High Relief Commission and UNHCR and largely supported by international NGOs.

Living conditions for most Palestinian refugees in Lebanon remain precarious. Two thirds are living in UNRWA camps or unofficial settlements across the country and are highly dependent on external assistance for their basic services. In 2011 the EU funded humanitarian operations benefitting Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory and in Lebanon.

Support to Palestinian refugees in Lebanon was almost fully disbursed to UNRWA and INGOS[22] for very urgent shelter rehabilitation, access to clean water/sanitation, healthcare including secondary care for the most vulnerable, psychological support and legal protection. Food assistance and shelter rental subsidies were provided specifically to the Nahr El Bard displaced population.

Iraqi crisis

Since the 2006 bombing of the Al-Askari mosque in Samarra that triggered sectarian violence to a level that forced 1.6 million persons to flee their homes, bringing the post-2003 internally displaced population to more than 2.8 million people, some partial returns took place in 2011. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) estimates that approximately 1.3 million people remain displaced inside Iraq. In addition, many Iraqis have left the country and as of November 2011, the UNHCR was referring to more than 177, 000 registered Iraqi refugees in the region.

Meanwhile the security situation has not improved since the parliamentary election in March 2010 and insurgencies, high criminality in Baghdad, and killings in the Northern/Central governorates as well as in the so-called Disputed Areas, have remained at a level which continue to affect development efforts. US troops withdrew from the country in December 2011. It is still unclear what exact impact this move will have on the overall security situation of the country although the beginning of 2012 has witnessed an increase in sectarian violence. December 2011 was also the deadline set by the Government of Iraq for the closure of the Ashraf Camp hosting some 3,400 members of the Iranian opposition movement, the People's Mujahidin Organisation of Iran (PMOI). Given the highly political nature of the issue and taking into consideration that the core concern is more a Human Rights issue than a humanitarian issue, it is considered that there are other more suitable tools to contribute than the humanitarian budget line. It is expected that the registration of the residents and the relocation to Camp Liberty will take place early 2012.

As a consequence, inside Iraq, large pockets of vulnerable civilians in remote areas are unable to access basic services such as safe water or quality health care. The on-going sectarian violence is hindering the capacity of the local authorities to provide services. Refugees in neighbouring countries have limited access to the labour market or social services and are in need for cash to pay for rent and healthcare. The situation is particularly critical for chronic patients (diabetes, hypertension) and tertiary health care. Psychological problems are also widespread, ranging from mild depression to severe mental health issues for persons who have witnessed or have been directly affected by violent incidents. In Lebanon, protection issues are prevalent. This is due to the fact that Lebanon does not recognize Iraqis as refugees. They are not granted special status and are treated as migrants.

In response to these needs, DG ECHO provided humanitarian assistance to the vulnerable population of Iraq and to the Iraqi refugees living in neighbouring countries. DG ECHO response included a significant protection component as well as activities in the fields of health and psychosocial support, water/sanitation and direct assistance (cash, non-food items). Most of the programmes focus on support to refugees in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. The brutal repression of the civil unrest in Syria since March 2011 has had direct repercussions on the living conditions of the 112,000 Iraqi refugees living there, in particular on the psychological status of people who had crossed the border in search of a protective environment and found themselves trapped in a country facing increased violence, triggering painfully familiar reminisencences of the past. Inside Iraq, insecurity has limited the population’s mobility and access to basic services as well as the possibility for most aid agencies to access and respond to needs. Support inside Iraq focussed mainly on water/sanitation and protection activities in the most affected areas (Disputed territories and rural Baghdad).

Yemen

Conflict in North Yemen as well as the influx of refugees from the Horn of Africa remained on the list of forgotten crises in 2011.

The political and humanitarian situation continued to seriously deteriorate during the year. Yemen faced a complex emergency with widespread conflict-driven displacements and a slow-onset crisis in food security and malnutrition. In the North, the vast majority of long-term IDPs (316,000 at the end of 2011) remained displaced due to the situation of insecurity, damaged homes, lack of livelihood opportunities and poor basic services. In the South, continuous fighting between security forces and Islamic militants resulted in the displacement of 150,000 people. There was also an increase in the influx of migrants, refugees (93,760 in 2011) and asylum seekers from the Horn of Africa, driven by conflict and famine.

Civil unrest, involving high levels of violence, severely disrupted the delivery of basic social services, exacerbating widespread and chronic vulnerabilities. Despite the signature of the Transition Agreement by President Saleh on 23 November 2011, the political and security situation remains very fragile, as some opposition groups did not sign this Agreement. The country's fragmentation also continued, governmental control being limited to a small part of the territory, and the rest being controlled by local tribes, the Al Houthis in the North and Islamist militants in the South.

Weak economic growth, a growing trade deficit and an unstable national currency exposed the population to rising global food and fuel prices. Recent nutritional surveys performed by UNICEF have shown alarming rates of malnutrition in several governorates, Global Acute Malnutrition levels of over 30% and Severe Acute Malnutrition levels of more than 10%, both being more than the threshold for emergencies as set by the World Health Organisation.

The 2011 OCHA Consolidated Appeal was increased to a total amount of $290 million, mainly to fund operations in the food and nutrition sectors for the IDPs and refugee population.

In view of the deterioration of the humanitarian situation and the growing needs in the country, the Commission intervened to provide support to the additional number of people affected by the ongoing conflict and the food insecurity crisis. Operations managed by DG ECHO concerned provision of relief (including food distribution, fight against malnutrition, cash distribution) to IDPs, to refugees and to the population affected by the high level of malnutrition.

The EU funded the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in order to improve the needs analysis and the efficiency of the aid provided and to advocate for the mobilisation of additional funding and access to all those affected by the different conflicts. A risk management component was also supported to enhance humanitarian NGO security.

3.4.2. Mediterranean

DG ECHO continued to be involved in preserving the dignity of its beneficiaries in the Mediterranean region in 2011. Some of the world's longest running humanitarian crises persist in this region, including the plight of the Sahrawi refugees in Algeria, living in camps in the Sahara desert under extremely harsh conditions. DG ECHO also intervened in new crises such as the Libyan conflict. A total funding of €69 million was allocated to these crises.

Sahrawi refugees (Algeria)

Since 1975, tens of thousands of Sahrawi refugees have been hosted by Algeria in four camps in the South-Western region of Tindouf (El Aaiun, Awserd, Smara and Dakhla). The presence of the refugees is the result of the conflict between Morocco and the Polisario Front over the former Spanish colony of Western Sahara following Spain's withdrawal in 1975.

In 1991, Morocco and the Polisario Front agreed to a United Nations Security Council conflict settlement plan, which proposed a cease-fire and set up the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) with a mandate to organise a referendum for self-determination.

The living conditions of the Sahrawi refugees, who have been living in these camps for more than 35 years, are extremely difficult. They depend completely on humanitarian aid to meet their basic needs: food, health, water/sanitation, shelter, hygiene and education. The status of Sahrawi refugees remained on the list of forgotten crises for 2011.

Humanitarian assistance to the Sahrawi refugees continued in 2011, partially through the 2010 financing decision and the 2011 allocation. Operations concerned food distribution, fresh food and tent distributions, medicine distribution as well as water supply, sanitation and hygiene item distribution.

On 22 October 2011, three European humanitarian workers were abducted in the camps by a dissident branch of AQIM (Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb) and were not yet liberated by the end of 2011. Although international humanitarian staff was evacuated just after this event for several weeks, the relief distribution was not interrupted in the camps. Following this abduction, security in the camps has been reinforced by DG ECHO and its partners. One of the potential consequences of this kidnapping is the limitation of access to the camps and the difficulty to carry out monitoring.

North Africa (Libyan crisis)

On 17 February 2011, major political protests began in Libya against the Gaddafi government. By late February, the country descended rapidly into chaos with most of the Northern Libyan cities joining in the revolt. In view of the escalating situation, the United Nations Security Council adopted two resolutions (1970 on 26 February 2011, and 1973 on 17 March 2011) imposing a sanctions regime, including an arms embargo, freezing of the assets of the leaders of the Gaddafi government, and a non-fly zone. The installation of the non-fly zone was followed by the start of air strikes, carried out by forces from a wide international coalition.

Since the very beginning of the crisis in Libya, the main objective of DG ECHO's intervention has been to assist and protect the Libyan population from the effect of the armed conflict and to provide the necessary assistance to those directly confronted by the fighting and/or living in areas under siege, as well as to protect and assist vulnerable groups such as Internally Displaced Persons (IDP), Third Country Nationals (TCN) and Libyan refugees in neighbouring countries. DG ECHO has been at the forefront of the humanitarian response to the Libyan crisis. It was the first donor on the ground both in East and West Libya, which allowed a close follow-up of the humanitarian situation and a swift response to the rapidly evolving needs.

In the first stage, right after the onset of hostilities, which caused a massive outflow of migrant workers, the priority was to provide funding to ensure that the immediate needs of those who had crossed the border were covered, people of concern were assisted, and that migrants who were stranded could be repatriated. DG ECHO deployed its humanitarian and civil protection experts to the Libyan borders (Tunisia, Egypt, Alger ia, Chad) as soon as the needs arose. A total of 56,000 Third Country Nationals were repatriated with the assistance of DG ECHO humanitarian partners and EU Member States' assets coordinated by the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and co-financed by the EU budget. More than 90,000 refugees stranded at the borders received water, food, shelter and medical assistance. DG ECHO supported also the Tunisian families who despite their rather limited financial resources hosted the largest part of the Libyan refugees.

As access to larger parts of the country became possible, DG ECHO-supported aid started to address the needs also of the populations inside Libya. Since the onset of the crisis, the European Union was advocating for unimpeded access for humanitarian workers to the entire territory of the country as well as for delivery of aid in an independent and neutral way both in the East and the West of Libya, regardless of people's affiliations. Great importance was given to the protection of the civilian population and the provision of medical support to the Libyan health sector and in particular to the war-wounded. Thanks to the efforts of DG ECHO-supported partners more than 9,000 detainees were visited across Libya and more than 130,000 Internally Displaced Persons were provided with assistance, in particular some 70,000 who originate from minority groups.

As hostilities ceased and international efforts rapidly shifted towards rebuilding of the Libyan nation, DG ECHO continued addressing the remaining pockets of humanitarian need across the country. Therefore, DG ECHO priorities for the post-conflict period were defined as mine clearance to allow physical return and restart of the economic activities, and protection of those who were perceived as having been on the wrong side of the revolution in order to ensure their survival but also to possibly facilitate reconciliation. The EU funded humanitarian mine clearance activities and mine risk education. As part of protection activities psychosocial support is a crucial element aiming to help heal the scars of war. A special focus is given to children as one of the most vulnerable groups that have suffered from the crisis. Child friendly spaces were equipped and staffed in different Libyan cities (Tripoli, Misrata, Sirte etc.) in order to provide a supportive environment and psychosocial activities for children affected by the conflict.

Although the humanitarian situation has significantly improved and the humanitarian needs are mainly covered, DG ECHO will continue in 2012 to closely monitor the situation in Libya.

3.4.3. Caucasus

Chechnya crisis

2011 saw the phasing out of ECHO's presence and funding in the framework of the Chechnya crises which triggered the displacement of thousand of civilians during the 1994-1996 and 1999-2001 armed conflicts. With the budget allocated in 2010, the last EU humanitarian intervention focused on the protection needs of the vulnerable population and its activities came to an end in September 2011. It also encompassed livelihood support and temporary shelter activities.

Despite a true and solid improvement in Chechnya, the number of security incidents continued to rise in 2011 in the neighbouring autonomous republics of Dagestan and Kabardino-Balkaria. The main challenges are the inability of protection agencies to carry out their mandates to defend civilians from human rights violations as well as the spread of violent incidents targeting law enforcement officials.

South Caucasus

The situation of Georgian IDPs from the August 2008 conflict has been stabilised. Basic needs are covered and rehabilitation projects are in place. In South Ossetia, the needs are well covered by the Russian Ministry for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters. Tensions at the administrative borderline between South Ossetia and Georgia proper have nevertheless been constant.

Implementation of the DIPECHO South Caucasus interventions, funded under a 2009 Action plan was finalised by mid-2011. This regional programme (covering Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia) contributed to the awareness raising on disaster risk reduction through the education system and ensuring preparedness at community level. All stakeholders, partners, local communities and national administrations, have requested to continue the project.

3.5. Asia and the Pacific

In 2011, humanitarian aid and food assistance operations were provided in about 20 countries in Asia and the Pacific region for a total of €238 million, representing 21% of the total budget managed by DG ECHO.

3.5.1. Central and South-West Asia

3.5.1.1. Central Asia

DG ECHO has been present in Central Asia since 1993, initially to provide assistance in the wake of the civil war in Tajikistan and later to respond to natural disasters and to support disaster preparedness projects through DIPECHO in the five countries of Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan).

As a region, Central Asia is highly exposed to natural disasters, e.g. earthquakes, landslides, floods, mudflows, droughts, avalanches and extreme temperatures. The region is also volatile politically, as exemplified by the inter-ethnic violence that erupted in Kyrgyzstan in June 2010 in which several hundred people were killed, some 300,000 people displaced and with serious destruction of property.

In 2011, on top of monitoring very closely the situation through the Office for Central Asia in Dushanbe (Tajikistan), DG ECHO provided support through the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) managed by the IFRC to victims of the floods in Kazakhstan in April and floods in Tajikistan in June. Under the financing decision for small-scale humanitarian response to disasters, DG ECHO also contributed in support to victims of the earthquake in Kyrgyzstan in July 2011.

The 2010 DIPECHO projects were also mostly implemented throughout 2011 and came to an end only in autumn 2011.

3.5.1.2. South-West Asia

Table - Breakdown of funding (commitments) for Central and South West Asia

|| Humanitarian Aid || Food Aid || Total

Afghanistan || 28 000 000 || 6 500 000 || 34 500 000

Pakistan || 66 500 000 || 26 000 000 || 92 500 000

TOTAL || 94 500 000 || 32 500 000 || 127 000 000

In Afghanistan and Pakistan, the humanitarian crises are twofold: first, the 'Afghan' crisis affects not only Afghanistan but also Iran and Pakistan, where almost three million Afghan refugees are still living; second, Pakistan is affected by a twin-faceted crisis with still almost one million people displaced by the conflict and 6 million affected in 2011 by major floods in Sindh and Baluchistan.

In Afghanistan, the deterioration of security and the consequences of extensive military operations, aggravated by years of drought, increasing flooding and recurrent small-scale disasters such as earthquakes, resulted in significant levels of humanitarian needs in 2011.

In Pakistan, following the worst floods in living memory in 2010 affecting almost 20 million people, the monsoon rains created another emergency again in 2011, severely affecting Sindh, parts of Baluchistan and South Punjab. This second major natural disaster within 2 years has exacerbated the situation of many communities that were still recovering from the 2010 floods. Once again, Pakistan is confronting the humanitarian consequences of both conflicts (in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas) and natural disasters.

Afghanistan

Humanitarian needs increased in 2011. They were mainly related to the consequences of the on-going conflict. The number of war-induced IDPs increased by 45% compared to 2010. The total number of IDPs by 30 November 2011 reached around 454,000 individuals of which 185,000 were war induced cases. Afghan refugees who returned from Pakistan and Iran benefitted also from assistance. Finally, the highly food-insecure population affected by recurrent natural disasters, including 2011 year's drought in the North and North-East of the country and the 2010 severe flooding in the central highlands and East, received also support.

Considering the above needs, the focus in 2011 was on assisting IDPs and the return of refugees both providing the latter with a cash allowance and ensuring basic livelihood support. Considering access difficu