REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Annual Report on the European Union's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Policies and their Implementation in 2013
Date: 2014-08-28
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: ECHO, aid to disaster victims, civil defence, foreign aid, fund (EU), help for victims, natural disaster













EUR-Lex - 52014DC0537 - EN











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52014DC0537

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Annual Report on the European Union's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Policies and their Implementation in 2013 /* COM/2014/0537 final */









Table of
contents

Highlights. 2
The global context 3
Emergencies on the increase. 3
Violations of International Humanitarian
Law.. 3
Challenging economic times. 4
Humanitarian aid OPERATIONS. 5
Disaster preparedness and resilience. 9
EU Children of Peace. 10
Link to other EU Instruments. 10
Civil protection operations. 11
Financial and human resources. 13
Humanitarian aid and civil protection policy. 16
Conclusion. 18

Introduction
This
Annual Report outlines the main policy achievements and activities of the
European Commission in the field of humanitarian aid and civil protection,
carried out principally through its Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid
and Civil Protection (ECHO) during 2013. While it does not describe in detail
all the work and actions undertaken, it does present the ‘headline’ activities
and major developments.
ECHO’s
mandate encompasses both humanitarian assistance and civil protection. These
are the two main mechanisms through which the European Union (EU) can ensure
rapid and effective delivery of relief assistance to people faced with the
immediate consequences of disasters.
The humanitarian
aid provided by the EU offers relief assistance to the people most in need
in third countries. It throws a lifeline to those who are hit by natural and
man-made disasters, and prepares communities, victims of recurrent crises, to
face the effects of future emergencies. Complementary to humanitarian
assistance, civil protection operations offer immediate support with
expert teams, rescue equipment and real-time monitoring of developing
disasters, both within and beyond the European Union.
Whenever
a disaster strikes, assistance is needed immediately. In this context, the
timely and effective intervention by the international community can make the
difference between life and death. Over half[1] of the
global funding provided to address the needs of people struck by natural and
man-made disaster situations is provided by the EU and its Member States.
Through its humanitarian actions, the EU provides immediate response to disasters,
prepares communities for upcoming challenges and strongly promotes the respect for
international humanitarian law.
              Highlights
Through the instruments of humanitarian aid and civil protection,
the EU provided substantial needs-based emergency assistance in 2013, with total
funding of EUR 1 353 million in commitments[2]. 
Some of the key facts and figures:
·        
Approximately 124 million people[3] affected by natural disasters, man-made or protracted crises were
helped;
·        
Humanitarian aid was provided in more
than 90 non-EU countries;
·        
The EU together with its Member States was at the forefront of all
major crises globally, notably in the response to the Syria crisis,  and was the largest international aid donor;
·        
Unprecedented EU collaboration was
mobilised during the mega disaster caused by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines; EUR 180 million were donated by the EU and its Member States, in addition to in-kind assistance;
·        
The EU Aid Volunteers initiative[4] was confirmed; it will offer
18 000 volunteer opportunities between 2014 and 2020;
·        
The
EU Civil Protection Mechanism[5]
was activated 36 times (following requests for assistance, for pre-alerts,
and/or monitoring);
A
milestone in 2013 was achieved with the inauguration of the Emergency
Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) in May 2013, which greatly facilitates
the management of operations – especially in terms of coordination and reaction
to disasters – with a fully-fledged 24/7 duty system (as of 1 October 2013).
The key mission of the ERCC is to provide operational support, integrated
situational awareness and analysis for the coordination of actions through both
humanitarian aid and civil protection instruments.
              The
global context 
              Emergencies
on the increase
Worldwide,
natural disasters are growing in frequency, complexity and severity, and are
aggravated by challenges such as climate change, rapid urbanisation and
under-development. Armed conflicts and protracted crises also show worrying
trends across the globe. As the world’s largest humanitarian donor, the EU and
its Member States have responded with determination to these challenges throughout
2013.
The year
2013 was marked by a very high number of humanitarian crises and disasters, and
great vulnerability. Annual trends indicate that needs are
increasingly outweighing resources available. The delivery of humanitarian aid
and civil protection is also becoming more complex and due to the frequency and
intensity of natural disasters with major consequences, humanitarian crises are
occurring with less warning than before. 
Statistics
published by the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED)[6] and the UN Office
for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR)[7] show
that there were 356 natural disasters of variable magnitude in 2013[8]. These disasters killed
over 20 000
people and affected 99 million people worldwide. At global level, Asia was again the continent most affected by natural disasters. This was reflected
both in the number of disasters (44 % of worldwide
disasters) and the number of victims (80 %). The
impact of disasters on less-developed economies is particularly significant:
for example, the damage caused by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, and by floods in Bangladesh and Mozambique. Africa was severely affected both by
drought and by floods. The consequences of major disasters were devastating and
varied: lives were lost, and housing, crops and livelihoods were destroyed.
              Violations
of International Humanitarian Law
Non-international
armed conflicts remain the major cause of man-made humanitarian disasters, with
civilian populations increasingly exposed to violence and suffering. Conflicts
of this type are often marked by the disregard of the perpetrators for International
Humanitarian Law (IHL) and its principles. The year
2013 saw humanitarian organisations faced with growing problems in gaining
access to people that need help. Governments and militia or armed groups often
shrink the humanitarian space and sometimes disregard the most basic protection
guaranteed under IHL. 
Access
restrictions faced by humanitarian organisations were
most prevalent in areas of conflict and/or where there was a marked absence of
the rule of law due to political obstacles. In 2013, the
overall situation and working environment has deteriorated particularly in Syria, Afghanistan and the Central African Republic (CAR). In other countries, no improvement in
security was observed since the previous year, in particular in Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Yemen.  In many
conflict zones (e.g. Somalia, Syria and CAR) humanitarian workers witnessed
particularly brutal methods of warfare. These included the targeting of
civilians and the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.
The incidence of attacks on humanitarian aid workers,
including kidnappings, expulsions and killings, was at the level of 2012.
Humanitarian actors have to constantly cope with such risks to mitigate them.
              Challenging
economic times
The
impact of worldwide disasters has greatly stretched the response capacity of
the international humanitarian community over the last few years. In 2013, the United Nations launched the largest
consolidated funding appeal ever worth USD 13 billion for humanitarian
needs in 24 countries. There is an increasing mismatch between rising
global humanitarian needs, on the one hand, and the increasingly scarce
financial resources available to respond to these needs, on the other. This
is especially the case in the light of the economic and financial crisis that
has hit many Western donor countries. The chronic vulnerability seen in many
parts of the world is compounded by the global economic crisis.
This
means that donors have to step up their efforts to respond to disasters in a
more efficient manner, by making even better use of their limited resources.
For the Commission, this translates into identifying efficiency gains when
working with its partners. 
              Humanitarian aid OPERATIONS 
The EU’s
mandate under Article 214 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European
Union (TFEU), the Humanitarian Aid Regulation[9] and the European
Consensus on Humanitarian Aid[10]
is
to save and preserve life. European Union's operations also aim to prevent or
reduce suffering and safeguard the integrity and dignity of individuals by
providing relief and protection at times of humanitarian crises. The Commission
also facilitates coordination with and among the EU Member States on
humanitarian action and policy, in order to enhance the efficiency and
complementarity[11]
of humanitarian assistance.
The
overall priority is to ensure that the aid is managed in the most efficient way
possible, thus guaranteeing that the assistance the EU delivers to people in
need has the maximum effect and respects the principles of international law.
The EU upholds at all times the humanitarian principles of impartiality,
neutrality, humanity and independence, and provides assistance without regard
for any political agendas and irrespective of victims' nationality, religion,
gender, ethnic origin or political affiliation.
In 2013, the EU funded operations in a number of emergencies
resulting from natural catastrophes including:
·               
The
tropical cyclone Haiyan hit the Philippines in
November 2013 causing unprecedented damage and desolation. The typhoon, among
the strongest ever recorded, left thousands dead, displaced around 4 million
and affected 14-16 million people. Teams of EU humanitarian and civil
protection experts were deployed to the worst hit areas within hours after the
disaster to support relief efforts and assess the most acute needs. The EU and
its Member States provided considerable humanitarian aid and in-kind
assistance, exceeding EUR 180 million. At the request of the Government of the Philippines, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism
was activated, allowing for enhanced coordination of the European relief
efforts and facilitation of logistics, including through EU contributions to
transport costs. The Commission also committed support to assist the
medium-term rehabilitation, thus helping the population in the struggle to
rebuilding their lives.    http://ec.europa.eu/echo/files/aid/countries/factsheets/philippines_haiyan_en.pdf

·               
Across
the Sahel, the persistent
food and nutrition crisis continued to jeopardize the lives of millions: almost
16 million people were at risk from lack of food and, among them, 8 million
were in need of emergency food assistance. Building resilience for the most
vulnerable communities to withstand future crises was a priority
in 2013. Vulnerable households were struggling to recover after the severe food
and nutrition crisis that hit the region in 2012. To this end, the EU was a
driving force in establishing the AGIR-Sahel initiative[12], which brings together
all stakeholders around the pursuit of a ’Zero Hunger’ goal for the Sahel over
the next 20 years. Support to building resilience is a key policy priority both
worldwide and within Europe. The AGIR Regional Roadmap of Resilience
Priorities, which sets out the principles, priority actions and indicators in
great detail, was formally adopted in Paris in April 2013 by the main regional
organisations and donors supporting the Sahel. http://ec.europa.eu/echo/files/aid/countries/factsheets/sahel_en.pdf
·               
Three
years after the devastating 2010 earthquake, the humanitarian needs in Haiti remained high. Of the original 1.5 million, 130 000 people were still
displaced, the country still had the largest cholera epidemic in the world and
it faced structural food insecurity. The EU stayed fully committed to helping Haiti survivors In 2013, EUR 30.5 million worth of EU humanitarian aid was allocated to further help
homeless people, cholera victims as well as those affected by hurricane Sandy and the tropical storm Isaac. Backed by EU funding, humanitarian organisations carried
out a wide range of emergency operations. As an example of the concrete impact of
the EU's efforts to tackle the cholera epidemic, in the first year
following the outbreak, EU funding made it possible to provide treatment to 158
814 people, support to 26 health facilities and 42 treatment units, oral
rehydration to 122 500 people, access to improved sanitation facilities for 894
511 people and distribution of hygiene kits to 1.3 million people. The EU response
has contributed to reducing the number of new cases and saving a significant
number of lives, as the reduced mortality rate halved from 2.4% in November
2010 to 1.2% in December 2013.  http://ec.europa.eu/echo/files/aid/countries/factsheets/haiti_en.pdf
In addition, the EU
provided humanitarian assistance to cope with the consequences of the following
natural disasters:
·               
droughts in: Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Mexico, Djibouti and Ethiopia
·               
floods in: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, India, Ethiopia,
Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines;
·               
cyclones/hurricanes/tropical storms in: The Philippines, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Vietnam, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Pacific;
·               
earthquakes in: The Philippines, Indonesia;
·               
epidemics: Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Somalia, DRC, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Laos, Kyrgyzstan.
In
dealing with natural disasters, the Commission adopted a two-pronged strategy:
·               
Rapid
response, by providing humanitarian aid and by facilitating and coordinating
civil protection assistance. 
·               
Disaster
preparedness, by identifying those geographical areas and populations which are
most vulnerable to natural disasters and for which specific disaster
preparedness programmes are established. In
2013, the EU continued its support to DIPECHO[13] programmes in South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia), Caribbean, Central America, South America, Pacific, Southern Africa and Central Asia.
In terms of man-made crises, the EU supported relief operations in several conflicts, some of which
are now considered protracted and complex crises:
·               
The far-reaching conflict and civil war in Syria, with a massive exodus of Syrian refugees to neighbouring countries (including Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, and Iraq) has required a large-scale humanitarian response from the
EU since the outset. An estimated 9.3 million people, nearly half of them
children, were at the end of 2013 affected by the on-going violence and were in
need of humanitarian assistance inside Syria. Around 6.5 million people were
internally displaced at the end of 2013, whilst the number of refugees in
neighbouring countries – more than 2.3 million in December – underlines the
complex, regional dimension of the disaster. European aid has reached
population affected by the crisis inside Syria as well as refugees and
host-communities in the region and brought immediate impact for those in need
of assistance. In 2013, the EU mobilised EUR 350 million for humanitarian aid
in addition to the funding of previous years, which brought the EU and its
Member States' total response to more than EUR 2 billion since the end of 2011.
Moreover, material assistance (such as ambulances, heaters, blankets and
hygiene parcels) was provided to neighbouring countries hosting the Syrian
refugees. This included support from other Member States to Bulgaria, which faced an increasing influx of Syrian refugees over the year.
Whereas the Commission’s
Humanitarian operations mainly gave priority to life-saving operations in Syria
and neighbouring countries with a special focus on the most vulnerable people including
internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees and host-communities[14], other EU instruments (ENPI, DCI, IFS, IPA)[15] were directed towards stabilization and medium to longer-term
operations, mainly focusing on capacity building of local authorities and
upgrading basic services (wash, health, education) to host communities as well
as upgrading livelihood opportunities for these communities. Coordination
meetings on the Syria crisis were held regularly between the different services
of the Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS) to discuss
strategies and programming so as to maximize the impact of the EU response and avoid
any risk of duplication.
The EU played an
important role in calling for additional funding from other donors, and sought
to ensure that assistance would address the needs of displaced populations
throughout Syria and not just in the ‘hotspots’. The EU also promoted
humanitarian access to increase the number of relief organisations authorised
to provide assistance inside Syria to cope with increasing needs. Unfettered
access to conflict zones throughout the country and demand for civilians (including
humanitarian workers and medical personnel) and facilities to be properly
protected were among the priority actions. http://ec.europa.eu/echo/files/aid/countries/factsheets/syria_en.pdf 
·               
The
EU provided significant humanitarian support (EUR 77 million) to the population
of Northern Mali affected by the on-going armed conflict. Almost 70% of
health facilities were functioning and an estimated 900 000 people benefitted from
targeted food assistance thanks to the support provided by the EU's partners. From
2013, the Commission ensured a coordinated use of EU humanitarian aid and
development cooperation instruments in the transition phase. In addition, EUR
20 million were allocated by the Instrument for stability[16] for
short-term stabilization and security actions. Part of the EU's humanitarian assistance
to Mali was approved through an EDF/LRRD[17]
decision of EUR 23 million. This envelope aimed to support access to basic
services during the transitional period while the Commission, through DEVCO,
has made an initial commitment of EUR 225 million in a state building contract
to assist the Government of Mali in restoring State authority, law, order and
democracy and the delivery of basic services throughout Mali. In both countries, the EU actively supported refugees, by
restoring access to healthcare, focusing on nutrition and food assistance and
providing protection. http://ec.europa.eu/echo/files/aid/countries/factsheets/mali_en.pdf
·               
The
  Central African Republic (CAR) has been experiencing a catastrophic
humanitarian situation since December 2012. For too long, the crisis did not
receive significant attention from the wider international community. Raising
awareness of the situation in CAR was a major priority for the Commission in
2013, and Commissioner Georgieva undertook two missions to the country as well
as co-organizing a high-level meeting on the crisis at the 2013 UN General
Assembly, together with the United Nations and France. The EU allocated EUR 39
million of humanitarian aid to CAR – making it the country's main international
donor. Out of these, EUR 18.5 million were provided by mid-December 2013, as
inter-communal violence escalated dramatically after 5 December 2013, forcing
hundreds of thousands in the capital Bangui and throughout the country to flee
their homes. The majority of the actions funded were focused on life-saving
activities. Funds were mostly allocated to health projects to allow the most
vulnerable to benefit from primary and secondary health care as the public
health sector is mostly inexistent in most parts of the country. Moreover, the
EU organised repeated airlifts into the country to support the transport of
humanitarian relief and aid personnel in the very challenging security
environment. The EU organised a special airlift from Europe, carrying 37 tonnes
of medical supplies, and two flights from Nairobi bringing emergency shelter
and items to over 100 000 displaced people (blankets and basic household goods
such as kitchen utensils, soap, mosquito nets). In order to intervene quickly, the
EU directly purchased and sent over 20 000 plastic sheeting to build
shelters for displaced people in Bangui but also in the countryside. http://ec.europa.eu/echo/files/aid/countries/factsheets/car_en.pdf
Throughout the
year, the EU maintained its particular focus on the world's "forgotten
crises", allocating 15% of overall funding to assist people caught up
in often protracted disasters, which largely escaped the attention of the
international community. 
The EU’s response to
crises remained driven by needs and was tailored to the specific circumstances
of each situation. Aid was delivered across a variety of means and sectors such
as health (including psychological support, financing of clinics), protection
(including activities addressing sexual violence), food and non-food items,
shelter, water/sanitation, reconstruction and rehabilitation. The table shows
the distribution of aid per sector of intervention in 2013:[18]
              Disaster
preparedness and resilience
The importance of building up preparedness and resilience of
vulnerable communities is demonstrated by the long-term impact on lives and
livelihoods in the aftermath of major crises, such as the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and recurrent drought in the Horn of Africa and the Sahel. These disasters demonstrate how
crucial it is to appropriately address longer-term rehabilitation and
development needs at the very earliest stages of the humanitarian response. To
reduce the devastating impact of recurring disasters and genuinely improve the
prospects for sustainable development, it is essential that humanitarian and
development actors work hand in hand. The Commission, through ECHO and EuropeAid,
stepped up efforts in terms of resilience building in crisis prone countries.
The Commission’s Resilience communication and its Action Plan provide the
policy and operational framework for a scaling up of EU efforts for resilience
building at different levels and within an expanded geographical scope.
In 2013, the Commission continued its efforts to promote
resilience initiatives, such as the major initiatives AGIR and SHARE[19], which aim to increase the preparedness of West and East African
countries towards recurrent natural disasters.    http://ec.europa.eu/echo/en/what/humanitarian-aid/resilience 
In addition, the Commission worked with the Member States to
develop an EU position to help shape an ambitious revision to the Hyogo
Framework for Action, to be agreed at an international conference in
2015, building also on the experience and achievements in Europe, and with a
view to further the synergies between disaster risk reduction and adaptation to
climate change. 
Moreover, as part of the international humanitarian
system, the EU played a key role in encouraging other countries and regions to
increase their participation in humanitarian preparedness and response. This
included working with emerging economies in order to mobilise more effectively resources
for humanitarian action and disaster response.
              EU
Children of Peace
With the EU Children of
Peace initiative, the EU pursued its commitment to help girls and boys around
the world who are deprived of growing up in peace. Launched in 2012 following
the award to the EU of the Nobel Peace Prize, the initiative funded education
initiatives for more than 28 000 child victims of conflicts from Pakistan, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Colombia, and Syrian refugees in Iraq. The projects provide children with access to a safe learning environment, as well as
with psychological support to heal their traumatic war experiences. In November
2013, the EU confirmed its decision to continue and step up the initiative by
announcing additional funds for new projects in 2014 aiming to bring assistance
to 80 000 boys and girls. http://ec.europa.eu/echo/en/what/humanitarian-aid/children-of-peace 
              Link
to other EU Instruments 
ECHO's operations endeavour
to reflect coherence and complementarity with actions financed by other EU
instruments. Based on previous DIPECHO actions, the Instrument for Stability
funded 3 000 "brigadiers" in Haiti to reinforce response mechanisms
of civil protection public structures. Another example is the contribution of
EU-funded emergency actions to long-term development: cyclone-resistant
shelters have a duration of more than one decade providing survivors with a
home beyond the first emergency phase; income generation activities funded by the
EU, coupled with rental subsidies, in most cases contribute to restoring coping
mechanisms and to sustainable small-scale economic activities. The ERCC
supported EU Member States and associated partners during disasters and crises
inside and out the Union’s territory through the Copernicus Emergency
Management service, which is managed by the European Commission. The ERCC also
benefited from the analytical and technical support of the Commission-s
in-house science service, the Joint Research Centre.  Finally, EU's
humanitarian aid direct response and control measures in relation to cholera
epidemics were implemented in conjunction with the significant infrastructure
and institution-building projects financed through EU development instruments. 
              Civil
protection operations
The
Commission strives to encourage and facilitate cooperation between the 32
states participating in the EU Civil Protection Mechanism in order to
improve the prevention of, preparedness to and protection against natural,
technological or man-made disasters, both inside and outside Europe.
The EU Civil Protection Mechanism (EUCPM) was activated 36
times during 2013, including requests for assistance, pre-alerts,
and monitoring. The majority of these
activations were related to natural disasters (severe weather, storms, forest
fires, floods, tropical cyclones, earthquakes, tsunamis), and 10 involved
man-made disasters (setting up of refugee settlement camps due to civil unrest,
chemical and transport accidents). There were four requests for assistance made
by participating states and 12 requests coming from countries outside the EUCPM.

The new Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC),
which was established within ECHO in May 2013, as a
successor of the Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC), is the operational
heart of the EUCPM. Its key assets are: the capacity to deal with
several simultaneous emergencies in different time zones; to monitor hazards
24/7; to collect and analyse real-time information on disasters; to prepare
plans for the deployment of experts, teams and equipment; and to work with
Member States to map available assets and coordinate the EU’s disaster response
efforts by matching offers of assistance to the needs of the disaster-stricken
country. The ERCC acts as the information hub and
entry point for requests for assistance from EU Member States. 
The ERCC
also plays an important role in promoting awareness of situations requiring a
disaster response within the Commission, other institutions and Member States.
As
regards natural disasters in 2013, the Mechanism was activated in
response to tropical cyclones in the Philippines,
Myanmar, Madagascar; floods in Central Europe, and Nigeria; forest fires in
Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina and severe weather conditions in Northern
Europe. 
Countries participating in the EUCPM offered assistance to Jordan, Lebanon and Bulgaria to support the efforts of national governments in dealing with refugee
influx on their territory resulting from the Syria crisis. Complementarity
between humanitarian and civil protection assistance delivery was ensured
in all these cases. 
As part of civil protection policy, and in cooperation with Member
States, the Commission also supported disaster preparedness and prevention
activities within the EU. This covered inter alia the training of civil
protection personnel and large-scale exercises, exchange of experts, and
cooperation projects on prevention and preparedness.
In 2013, in support of field operations, the Commission provided
EU Member States and associated users with reference and damage extent and
grading maps using the Copernicus service (GMES Initial Operations-Emergency
Management Service), for which the ERCC is the single entry point for
activation. In 2013, the service was activated 42 times (out of which 18
activations were for floods and 11 activations related to refugee and
Internally Displaced Persons crises) and delivered satellite-derived maps for
various types of disasters or crises.
              Financial
and human resources
For the second consecutive year, EU humanitarian aid exceeded EUR
1.3 billion in commitment appropriations within the EU budget. This was
achieved through substantial increases of the initial amount of commitment
appropriations and a matching increase in the number of interventions and
victims reached. However, the increases in payment appropriations, although
substantial, did not match in full the identified needs stemming from previous
and new legal commitments (contracts). 
During 2013, the Commission therefore set up a series of ad-hoc
measures, essentially by rearranging payment schedules, in order to cope with
the given financial constraints. ECHO's Director-General (as Authorizing Officer
by Delegation), in full respect of the principle of sound financial management,
put forward requests for budget reinforcements and took ad-hoc mitigation
measures to manage the insufficient level of payment appropriations, which
included the reduction of advance payments (pre-financings) and the
postponement of final payments. This ensured the continuity of operations and
allowed the Commission to reach its operational objectives, although the
financial impact of these measures created some cash flow problems,
particularly for some of the smaller NGO partners. 
Around 98% of the EU's 2013 humanitarian and civil protection
budget was used for operational activities, whereas about 2% covered
administrative and policy aspects. With respect to human resources, 53% is
represented by operational staff, while the rest is divided between
administrative and policy support.
Record levels of assistance were possible thanks to increased
overall productivity driven by streamlining of procedures, simplification and
rationalisation of processes. Such optimization was the result of the internal
"Business Process Review" launched in 2011. This review has been a
key management priority in recent years aiming to optimise the business
processes and supporting systems to achieve both efficiency gains and higher
quality/ effectiveness across ECHO. The ultimate aim is to improve the way
disasters are coped with, thereby reducing the devastating impact on affected
populations and their livelihoods.
EU funding was provided to the following regions (rounded figures,
in € millions of commitment appropriations):[20]
The greatest portion of EU funding in 2013 was, as in previous
years, allocated to Africa (40 %). Substantial assistance was also
provided to the Middle East (Syria and neighbouring countries), and to Central
and South-East Asia for the natural disasters that struck there.
The EU does not implement humanitarian assistance programmes
itself.[21] As a humanitarian aid donor, the EU fulfils its mission by
funding actions implemented by partner organisations who have signed a Framework
Partnership Agreement (FPA) with the EU. The EU’s Partners include a wide range
of professional bodies — European NGOs and international organisations such as
the Red Cross and the various agencies of the United Nations (with which the
Commission has signed a Financial and Administrative Framework Agreement -
FAFA). The specialised agencies of Member States are also considered EU's
humanitarian partners.
This wide range of implementing partners enables the EU to cover a
growing list of needs in different parts of the world, often in increasingly
complex situations. Commission-managed grants and contributions are provided
through selecting the best proposals received. The 2013 breakdown for
humanitarian agreements signed was: 
·               
48 %
of actions carried out by NGOs (115 partners)
·               
42 %
by UN agencies (16 partners)
·               
9 %
by international organisations (3 partners)
·               
1%
as a direct contract of ECHO flight (2 partners).
In 2013, the Commission had 321 staff members working at its ECHO headquarters
in Brussels. In addition to be able to respond to disasters in non-EU
countries, the Commission maintained its unique network of ECHO field experts
deployed throughout the world. 149 field experts and 315 local staff made a
total of 464 people working in the Commission’s 39 ECHO field offices as of 31
December 2013. Their main responsibility was to carry out needs assessments immediately
following a disaster, to monitor the implementation of EU-funded humanitarian
projects.
From the
security point of view, the Commission took further steps to strengthen
its own security and financial management systems. This was accomplished both
at headquarters and in the field through improved coordination and
collaboration with humanitarian partners, by
monitoring and visiting projects, and by carrying out ex-ante controls, audits
and evaluations.
              Humanitarian
aid and civil protection policy
At policy level, several initiatives of strategic importance were
developed in 2013. Policy priorities in the field of humanitarian aid were aid
effectiveness, result-orientation and impact. These were defined management
priorities for both the revision of ECHO's Framework Partnership Agreements and
the setting up of the new Delegation Agreements for Indirect Management. 
Among the main activities were the development of clear guidance
on thematic and cross-cutting issues such as resilience, disaster risk
reduction, WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene), gender, nutrition and others, and
targeted dissemination, training strategies and monitoring of project implementation.
These activities help ensure that the needs of the most vulnerable
crisis-affected population are addressed efficiently and effectively.
Furthermore, concrete efforts were undertaken to guide and foster the
implementation of the Commission's Resilience Communication and the linkage
between humanitarian and development actions.
A
revised Civil Protection legislation was agreed in 2013. This will
further improve the planning of European disaster response operations and
ensure more effective, efficient and coherent disaster management in the years
to come. Among other things, the new legislation enables the creation of a
voluntary pool of Member States' assets (teams, equipment) available for
immediate deployment as part of a joint European intervention. Prevention and
preparedness are also covered by the revised legislation.
A political agreement on the regulation for the establishment of
the EU Aid Volunteers programme was achieved at the end of 2013. The
objective of the EU Aid Volunteers initiative is to contribute to strengthening
the EU's capacity to provide needs-based humanitarian aid aimed at preserving
life, preventing human suffering, and strengthening resilience of vulnerable or
disaster-affected communities, particularly by means of disaster preparedness,
disaster risk reduction, and by enhancing the link between relief,
rehabilitation and development.
In December 2013, the High Representative and the Commission
issued the Joint Communication on "The EU's Comprehensive Approach to
External Conflict and Crisis" setting out a number of concrete steps that
the EU, collectively, should take in the areas of early warning and
preparedness, conflict prevention, crisis response and management to early
recovery, stabilisation and peace-building. While in this context Commission
services, including ECHO, coordinate closely with the EEAS, the specific nature
of humanitarian aid (being based on the humanitarian principles and on the
needs of the affected population) is fully recognised.
Enhancing
coherence and coordination between the EU and its Member States in response to
a disaster or protracted crisis is a key issue for improving the efficiency of
the overall EU aid contribution. Since 2009 coordination with Member States has
mainly taken place in the Council Working Party on Humanitarian Aid and Food
Aid (COHAFA) in which the Commission takes part. On
a strategic level, COHAFA contributes significantly to the coherence and
complementarity of the EU’s and its Member States’ humanitarian aid activities.
As in previous years, in 2013 an annual exchange took place on the policies/strategies,
information and analysis produced by the Commission. In  2013, the Commission
also increased its efforts to follow and contribute to the work of European Parliament
committees. The European Parliament was briefed about policy initiatives and
priorities, as well as about the Commission’s response to specific crises.

In
December 2012, the Commission had launched a public consultation to gather
stakeholders’ views on the challenges, objectives and options for further
enhancing the effectiveness and impact of EU humanitarian aid. It took into
account the changing global context at the outset of the 21st century. The "Fit
for Purpose" stakeholder consultation was closed in March 2013 with 55
responses, which represented over a hundred stakeholders. As a follow-up, a
stakeholder conference was organised in June 2013 bringing together nearly a
hundred participants. The results of the consultation are planned to feed into
the respective policy areas such as resilience, innovation and civil
protection. 
International
cooperation is vital in the ever more challenging humanitarian
landscape. Throughout 2013, the EU continued to speak out in multilateral
forums. Taking a leading role in the Transformative Agenda, the EU has aimed to
enhance the collective humanitarian response through improved global
coordination, leadership and accountability. Embracing the motto "Acting
together for those in need", the EU through the Commission chaired the
OCHA Donor Support Group (ODSG) starting in July 2013 (the mandate lasts until July
2014). The ODSG is an important mechanism for humanitarian donor consultation
on the activities of the United Nations' Office for Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The roll-out of the humanitarian food assistance policy
was also pursued during the year. The EU's commitment to effective humanitarian
food assistance is demonstrated through the work on the Food Assistance
Convention (FAC). Consolidating the pivotal role it played in negotiating the
FAC, the EU aims to take a leading role in the implementation of the FAC. The policy
direction of the FAC has seen a shift from food aid to food assistance,
promoting cash-based assistance, where appropriate, and using the Convention as
a platform to push forward the policy agenda and innovative ideas and
approaches in international forums.
The Commission also remained committed to supporting the
development and strengthening of the collective global humanitarian preparedness
and response capacity. In 2013, EUR 21 million was made available for
enhanced humanitarian response capacity programmes, to support 18 new capacity
building projects for up to two years. These were undertaken within UN
agencies, NGOs and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies. The programmes focused on:
·               
Enhanced
global humanitarian architecture: emphasis was put on the strengthening
of the humanitarian response system, for example through encouraging synergies
between partners and pooling of resources and tools (such as rapid response
teams) to back-up mainstreamed cluster-lead agency functions.
·               
Food
assistance and nutrition: to support initiatives which further the
implementation of the European Humanitarian Food Assistance Policy and
coordination in this respect.
              Conclusion
Throughout
2013, the EU responded effectively to the ever increasing need for emergency
response and relief aid worldwide, reaching out to over 120 million people. Maintaining
the high aid levels of 2012 (over EUR 1.3 billion[22]), the EU
responded to all major emergencies (Syria, Central African Republic,
Philippines, Sahel, etc.) and underpinned the EU's role as the leading global
donor of humanitarian assistance.
The
number of disasters continues to increase globally; a trend set to continue
with climate change. This calls for ever more efficient humanitarian action.
Reinforced by the context of economic crisis, further effort has been carried
out to make every euro count. This has not only meant ensuring that the right
aid reaches those most in need at the right time, but also finding ways of
doing more with less. In 2013, significant emphasis was placed on increasing
speed and efficiency and cutting out duplication of processes and actions. 
Important
progress was made on civil protection action, including the opening of the
Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) and the adoption of the new EU
civil protection legislation which greatly reinforces collaboration among
Member States in disaster response. The emergency in the Philippines in particular exemplified the successful combination of humanitarian assistance and
civil protection operations, and close collaboration between the Commission and
the Member States. In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, all Member
States reacted positively to the requests for assistance which were coordinated
by the ERCC and complemented by the prompt humanitarian and other assistance
provided by the EU.
General
information on ECHO can be found at the following address:
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/index_en.htm
Financial
information on the Commission’s 2013 performance on humanitarian aid and civil
protection can be found at the following address:
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/funding/key_figures/echo_en.htm
Operational
information from previous years can be found at the following address:
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/about/annual_reports_en.htm
[1]              According to the most recent
(2013) data available (Global Humanitarian Assistance: http://www.globalhumanitarianassistance.org).
[2]               EUR 1 326 million for humanitarian aid and EUR 27 million for civil protection (EUR 20
million inside the EU, EUR 7 million outside de EU).
[3]               Of which 106 million people were helped
through humanitarian aid and food assistance and 18 million people through
disaster preparedness programmes.
[4]              Regulation
(EU) No 375/2014 on the EU Aid Volunteers initiative was adopted on 3 April
2014. Around 18 000 individuals will participate in the initiative from
2014-2020, through deployments of EU citizens as volunteers, training of people
from non-EU disaster affected countries and online volunteering opportunities.
More information: http://ec.europa.eu/echo/en/what/humanitarian-aid/eu-aid-volunteers

[5]              The EU Civil Protection Mechanism
(EUCPM) was in 2013 made up of 32 states (28 EU Member States plus the former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), which
cooperate in the field of civil protection and was created to support their
efforts to prevent, prepare for and respond to natural or man-made disasters
either within or outside of the EU. The assistance can take the form of in-kind
assistance, equipment and teams, or involve sending experts to carry out
assessments. It relies on government resources and, if assistance is required
in countries outside the EU, it usually works in parallel with humanitarian
aid. The operational heart of EUCPM is the Emergency Response Coordination
Centre (ERCC) accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Any country inside
or outside the EU affected by a disaster and overwhelmed by its magnitude can
make an appeal for assistance through the ERCC. 
[6]              www.cred.be.
[7]               www.unisdr.org.
[8]               According to the same sources, in 2012
there were 310 natural disasters of variable magnitude.
[9]               Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/96 of 20
June 1996 concerning humanitarian aid. 
[10]             The Consensus is a joint
declaration of the European Commission, the Council of the EU and the European
Parliament that sets out a common vision aimed to improve the coherence,
effectiveness and quality of the EU's humanitarian response.
[11]             Article 214 (6) TFEU
[12]             AGIR -
the Global Alliance for Resilience Initiative
[13]             DIPECHO
(Disaster Preparedness ECHO) is a specific programme dedicated to disaster
preparedness. It targets highly vulnerable communities living in some of the
most disaster-prone regions of the world.
[14]             The Commission provided multi-sectorial humanitarian
assistance to refugees and host-communities in neighbouring countries as well
as to affected populations inside Syria with shelter/NFIs, food, wash, health
and protection being the main sectors.
[15]             ENPI – European neighborhood policy instrument; DCI –
Development cooperation instrument; IFS – Instrument for stability; IPA –
Instrument for pre-accession assistance
[16]             Regulation
(EU) No 230/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014
establishing an instrument contributing to stability and peace
[17]             Linking Relief, Rehabilitation
and Development
[18]             This breakdown is simplified in
that it associates projects to one single sector. In practice, most projects
are linked to more than one sector. For instance, the figure for disaster
preparedness (DP) (5.49 %) refers to those projects financed by the EU
primarily linked to DP. Nevertheless, if we take into account all the contracts
including significant DP components but for which the main sector of
intervention is not DP, we reach a total of 15 %. 
[19]             SHARE - Supporting Horn of
African Resilience
[20]             For civil protection, the
figures in the table are not broken down by country/region.
[21]             One operation is delivered directly,
namely the ECHO Flight programme in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya to provide logistical support in a region prone to access problems.
[22]             Commission only, not including
EU Member States contributions.