Annual Report on Humanitarian Aid Policy and its Implementation in 2009 SEC(2010)398
Date: 2010-04-09
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: ECHO, EU aid, EU financing, emergency aid, humanitarian aid, international human rights law, natural disaster, report, war

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EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 9.4.2010 
COM(2010)138 final 

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT 

Annual Report on Humanitarian Aid Policy and its Implementation in 2009 

SEC(2010)398 

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The  European  Union  is  one  of  the  world’s  biggest  donors  of  humanitarian  aid.  It  also 
promotes respect for, and adherence to, International Humanitarian Law. 

Its assistance, unique among the funding made available by the European Union is based on 
the humanitarian principles of Humanity, Impartiality, Independence and Neutrality. 

The European Union’s humanitarian aid policy enables it to demonstrate in practical terms its 
commitment to supporting those outside of the Union in need of assistance while they are at 
their most vulnerable. It contributes to fulfilling a strategic objective in external relations, as 
set out in the European Union’s Treaty. 

The Commission's Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO) activities in 2009 

Through  its  Humanitarian  Aid  Department  (ECHO),  the  Commission  provided  needs-based 
EU  humanitarian  assistance  to  the  victims  of  natural  and  man-made  disasters  in  over  70 
countries  in  2009.  Aid  reached  about  115  million  people,  and  was  worth  a  total  of  €930 
million. 

The initial 2009 budget of €777 million was reinforced twice from the emergency aid reserve:  

–  by €65 million for Pakistan and Somalia; and 

–  by €45 million for South-east Asia  and the Horn of Africa.  

The  budget  was  also  reinforced  via  European  Development  Funds  earmarked  for 
humanitarian aid in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. 

The need for humanitarian aid has increased over the last few years because of a combination 
of various factors: 

–  a rise in the number of refugees and displaced persons due to (protracted) conflicts; 

–  a rise in the number of natural disasters attributable to climate change; and 

–  the impact of economic crisis, which is driving more people into distress. 

There has been a very marked increase in the number of natural disasters recorded. Most of 
these are due to weather-related events. ECHO has adopted a two-fold strategy towards these: 

–  Rapid response: ECHO is able to offer assistance in emergencies which exceed a country's 

own capacity to respond; and 

–  Disaster preparedness: ECHO aims at identifying those geographical areas and populations 
most  vulnerable  to  natural  disasters,  and  puts  a  high  priority  on  enabling  disaster 
preparedness projects to be implemented where appropriate. 

In 2009, ECHO intervened in the following types of natural disaster:  

–  Floods in Afghanistan, India, Tajikistan and West Africa; 

–  Cyclones, tropical storms and hurricanes in Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangladesh, India, 

Philippines, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Cuba, Fiji and Papua New Guinea; 

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–  Droughts in the Greater Horn of Africa, the Sahel region in Western Africa, Madagascar, 

the Palestinian territories and the Syrian Arab Republic; 

–  Earthquake in Indonesia; 

–  Epidemics in West African countries, Southern Africa and Papua New Guinea; and 

–  Other  phenomena:  Emergency  assistance  was  also  provided  in  Laos  and  Bangladesh, 
which  suffered  rodent  outbreaks  affecting  food  security,  and  in  Uganda  following  crop 
failures in the north of the country. 

In  terms  of  "man-made"  crises,  ECHO  implemented  EU  humanitarian  assistance  in  the 
following cases: 

–  Sri  Lanka:  the  conflict  between  government  forces  and  the  Liberation  Tigers  of  Tamil 
Eelam  (LTTE)  in  the  north  of  Sri  Lanka  escalated  dramatically  in  February  2009. 
Emergency  aid  was  mobilised  to  assist  internally  displaced  people  (IDPs)  and  those 
otherwise affected by the conflict. Later in the year, when the conflict ended, over 100,000 
IDPs returned home and a further 25,000 were released to host families. 

–  Gaza  Strip:  The  Israeli  Defence  Forces  (IDF)  launched  a  large-scale  attack  on  the  Gaza 
Strip on 27 December 2008. Civilians were, and are still, severely affected, and in need of 
humanitarian  aid.  ECHO  provided  emergency  assistance  for  health  care,  including 
psychological  support,  as  well  as  for  food  and  other  essentials,  shelters  and  water/ 
sanitation. 

–  Pakistan: Since August 2008, the conflict between the Pakistani Army and various militant 
groups  in  the  North  West  Frontier  Province  (NWFP)  and  the  Federally  Administered 
Tribal Areas (FATA) has significantly intensified. After breaking a ceasefire, the Taliban 
moved south from the Swat Valley in early April. This offensive and the Pakistani Army's 
counter-offensive  provoked  an  unprecedented  level  of  displacement  among  civilians. 
Further major military operations began in mid-October in South Waziristan, causing the 
displacement of at least 260,000 families. Military operations also continued in other areas 
of  South  Waziristan,  which  caused  more  displacements.  Over  2.5  million  people  were 
affected  in  all;  ECHO  implemented  emergency  humanitarian  aid  actions  to  assist  the 
victims of the conflict. 

–  Afghanistan:  The  security  situation  deteriorated.  This  and  the  consequences  of  extensive 
military  operations  were  aggravated  by  years  of  drought  and  recurrent  small-scale 
disasters. The combination of these factors caused a sharp rise in humanitarian needs over 
the  year  2009,  and  this  looks  set  to  persist  into  2010.  ECHO  concentrated  on  the 
humanitarian needs of over 5 million returnees, mainly from Pakistan and Iran, internally 
displaced people (IDPs) and the most vulnerable communities. 

–  Yemen: Conflict in the northern Yemenite governorate of Sa'ada escalated at the beginning 
of 2009. It first erupted in 2004, and there have been six separate rounds of fighting since 
then.  The  clashes  seen  in  2009  were  the  most  serious  yet.  The  EU  emergency  aid 
implemented  by  ECHO  aimed,  among  other  objectives,  at  providing  integrated  relief 
assistance  for  those  who  had  been  internally  displaced  or  otherwise  affected  by  the 
conflict. 

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–  Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)/Republic of Congo border area: The Dongo region, 
along the river Ubangi, between the DRC and the Republic of Congo, was tormented by 
violent  conflict  from  the  end  of  October  2009.  This  led  to  huge  movements  of  refugees 
from the DRC into the Republic of Congo. 

–  Somalia: The humanitarian crisis remained both widespread and severe throughout 2009, 
with  half  of  the  population,  an  estimated  3.76  million  people,  in  need  of  humanitarian 
assistance.  This  includes:  those  affected  by  a  severe  drought;  urban  dwellers  struggling 
with  very  high  prices  for  food  and  other  essentials;  and  more  than  1.4  million  people 
displaced because of fighting. 

The Commission was also involved in actions to alleviate the effects of protracted, complex 
emergencies. In terms of funding, Sudan and the DRC remained the two countries in which 
the EU allocated the highest sums to its partners. 

–  In  Sudan,  the  EU  contributed  massively  to  making  humanitarian  aid  available  for  over 
6,500,000 internally  displaced  people,  refugees, returnees, host communities and  nomads 
across the country. This was the response to needs resulting from the protracted crisis in 
Darfur, and from new emergencies sparked by conflicts, inter-tribal violence, an epidemic 
of cholera and floods. In one way or another, these led to major population displacements 
and  disruption  of  livelihoods  throughout  the  country.  In  the  South  and  transitional  areas, 
ECHO implemented life-saving interventions and services for the most vulnerable, in areas 
where returnees, displaced people and/or communities were facing extreme hardship. 

–  In the Democratic Republic of Congo, ECHO implemented EU-funded actions for around 
3  million  people  in  the  North  Eastern  provinces  of  North  and  South  Kivu  and  Haut  and 
Bas-Uele. ECHO continued to assist internally displaced people in North and South Kivu, 
as  well  as  in  Haut  and  Bas-Uele,  where  the  security  situation  deteriorated  significantly 
following attacks by the Lord's Resistance Army. On a more positive note, some of those 
who  had  been  displaced  were  able  to  return  to  those  parts  of  these  regions  in  which 
security  has  improved,  and  ECHO  was  able  to  implement  programmes  to  support  such 
returnees. All health programmes implemented by ECHO had a component addressing the 
issue  of  sexual  violence,  and  a  clinic  specifically  for  the  victims  of  sexual  violence  was 
implemented in South Kivu. 

Despite  the  increase  in  natural  and  man-made  disasters  and  the  heavier  toll  that  complex 
emergencies have taken during the last few years, disrupting the lives of millions of civilians 
and  despite  the  lack  of  respect  for,  and  adherence  to,  the  humanitarian  principles  and  the 
safety  and  security  of  humanitarian  workers,  there  are  also  cases  where  the  humanitarian 
situation  has  improved.  There  are  definitely  hopeful  signs  that  humanitarian  interventions 
are not always endless, where funding is never followed by development. 

In 2009, this was the case in North-Uganda, where the Lord's Resistance Army has been kept 
out.  This  means  that  those  who  fled  violence  can  now  return.  A  Peace,  Recovery  and 
Development  Plan  for  northern  Uganda,  although  very  much  behind  schedule,  made  a 
faltering start during 2009 but could, all being well, continue to gather pace during 2010. 

In Zimbabwe, the need for basic health and water/sanitation services continued, although the 
general situation improved following the liberalisation of the economy at the beginning of the 
year, and a good harvest. This has enabled ECHO partners to turn their attention to starting 
pilot job-creation projects. 

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Finally, in Sri Lanka, where the guns have finally fallen silent, many Tamils remain in need 
of humanitarian aid. Already some displaced persons have started to return to their places of 
origin, and it is hoped that others will follow. If this pattern is sustained, ECHO will be able to 
concentrate on the medium-term needs of those returning home, and on host communities. 

The table below shows how EU funding for humanitarian aid was allocated by region in 2009, 
in application of the needs-based principles. 

Humanitarian assistance in 2009 (in € '000) 

Region 

Africa 

   Sudan & Chad 
   Central Africa  
   Horn of Africa 
   Southern Africa, Indian Ocean 
   West Africa 

Amount 

% 

489,560 

53%

149,600 
79,500 
173,475 
35,535 
51,450 

Middle East, Mediterranean, Caucasus & Central Asia 

121,775 

13%

   Mediterranean and Middle East 
   Caucasus and Central Asia 
Asia and Latin America, Caribbean and Pacific 
regions 
   South Asia 
   South East and East Asia 
   Latin America 
   Caribbean 
   Pacific 

Worldwide (capacity building, technical assistance & support) 

109,475 
12,300 

248,175 

27%

157,500 
45,500 
28,325 
14,000 
2,850 

70,940 

8%

TOTAL 

930,450 

100%

ECHO  does  not  intervene  directly  on  the  ground  but  implements  its  mandate  by  providing 
funding to about 200 partners composed of non-governmental organisations, United Nations 
agencies,  other  international  organisations  such  as  the  International  Committee  of  the  Red 
Cross and the International Federation of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent Societies and 
some specialised agencies from EU Member States. 

It is important for ECHO to have a wide range of partners, as this allows it to cover an ever-
growing list of needs in different parts of the world often in increasingly complex situations. 
ECHO-managed grants and contributions are made on the basis of selecting the best proposals 
received  for  covering  the  needs  of  the  most  vulnerable.  In  2009,  funding  was  distributed 
among  ECHO's  partners  as  follows:  NGOs  47%,  UN  agencies  39%  and  International 
Organisations 14%. 

Humanitarian organisations are faced with an increasingly limited access to beneficiaries on 
the  one  hand  due  to  a  tightening  of  the  humanitarian  space  by  governments  and  non-
governmental  actors,  who  disregard  even  the  most  basic  protection  afforded  under 
international humanitarian  law,  and on the other hand due to security constraints. More and 
more,  governments  are  imposing  restrictions  on  the  delivery  of  humanitarian  aid  (e.g.  Sri 
Lanka).  In  many  conflict  zones  (e.g.  DRC,  Somalia,  Sudan)  humanitarian  workers  see 
particularly brutal methods of warfare, including, the targeting of civilians and frequently, the 

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use  of  sexual  violence  as  a  weapon  of  war.  The  incidence  of  attacks  on  humanitarian  aid 
workers, including expulsions and killings, appears to be on the rise. Donors have to face the 
fact  that  not  only  the  safety  of  humanitarian  staff  is  at  risk,  so  also  is  the  funding  and 
infrastructure  that  they  provide.  Some  governments  are  willing  to  go  to  the  extreme  of 
expropriating  or  ‘borrowing’  funds  and  property  financed  by  donors  and/or  expelling 
humanitarian aid organisations once they have been stripped of their assets. 

At the policy and institutional level, 2009 was more positively marked by activities related 
to  the  timely  implementation  of  the  action  plan  related  to  the  European  Consensus  on 
Humanitarian  Aid,  the  Commission’s  co-chairmanship  with  the  Netherlands  of  the  Good 
Humanitarian Donorship Initiative and the work of the newly created Council Working Group 
on Humanitarian Aid and Food Aid (COHAFA). 

The  Council  Working  Group  quickly  established  itself  as  a  useful  forum  for  regular  policy 
level  exchanges  and  facilitated  closer  coordination  among  EU  experts  on  humanitarian  aid 
policy  and  operational  strategies.  It  has  been  instrumental  in  helping  the  Commission  and 
Member  States  to  develop  shared  analysis  on  thematic  issues,  including  food  assistance,  as 
well  as  geographical  issues.  It  raised  the  profile  and  relevance  of  humanitarian  issues  with 
other Council working bodies, particularly geographical working groups (e.g. Sri Lanka), the 
Political  and  Security  Committee  (PSC)  and  Committee  of  Permanent  Representatives 
(COREPER), which in turn fed in to the Foreign Affairs Council. Over time, this should lead 
to more consistency and coherence in the application of the humanitarian principles and good 
practices outlined in the European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid. 

At the European Parliament, 2009 was a key year with the election of a new assembly and a 
new  Committee  on  Development  (DEVE).  The  Commission,  through  ECHO,  was  quick  to 
establish  close  working  ties  with  the  members  of the Committee, particularly with  its  Chair 
and the new standing Rapporteur on Humanitarian Aid. This has provided a fresh impetus to 
the inter-institutional relationships in the area of humanitarian affairs which bodes well for the 
future. 

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