EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Brussels, 21.8.2015
COM(2015) 406 final
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 2014
Contents
Introduction
Highlights
The global context
A continuing surge in humanitarian crises
Violations of International Humanitarian Law
Humanitarian aid operations
Disaster preparedness and resilience
EU Children of Peace
Link to other EU instruments
Civil protection operations
Financial and human resources
Framework partnership agreement
Humanitarian aid and civil protection policy
Conclusion
Additional information and sources
Introduction
This report presents the Commission’s main activities and policy outcomes in 2014 in the field of humanitarian aid and civil protection, as carried out through its Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO).
Mr Stylianides succeeded Ms Georgieva as Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and crisis management, on the 1stNovember 2014, with the mandate to deliver assistance to alleviate humanitarian crises around the world and to foster cooperation among civil protection authorities across Europe in responding to natural or man-made disasters in Europe and beyond 1 . ECHO’s mission to help save and preserve life, prevent and alleviate human suffering and safeguard the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by crises is fulfilled through humanitarian assistance and civil protection operations.
Through ECHO, the Commission mobilises help for people in need across the world. This assistance is a fundamental expression of European solidarity and based on Articles 196 and 214 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU, the EU’s legal basis for humanitarian aid and civil protection).
EU humanitarian aid is a lifeline for communities and victims of new, recurrent and protracted crises. It allows them to prepare better for future emergencies. Complementary civil protection operations offer immediate support in the form of expert teams, rescue equipment and real-time monitoring of developing disasters, in the EU and elsewhere. When disaster strikes, timely and effective intervention by the international community can make the difference between life and death. The EU and its Member States rose to the challenge of the major needs in 2014 and continued to provide a major proportion of the total reported international humanitarian response. 2
Highlights
Through its humanitarian aid and civil protection instruments, the EU provided substantial needs-based emergency assistance in 2014 for a total commitment of EUR 1 273 million: 3
Together, the EU and its Member States were the largest international aid donor and were at the forefront of the response to all major crises around the world, notably those in Syria, Iraq, South Sudan, the Central African Republic and Ukraine, and the Ebola crisis;
Approximately 121 million people affected by natural or man-made disasters, or protracted crises received help;
Humanitarian aid was provided to the most vulnerable people in over 80 countries;
The 24/7 Emergency Response Co-ordination Centre (ERCC) acts as the hub for the Commission's crisis response system inside the EU and outside where possible. The ERCC is also the first entry point of any call for assistance under the Solidarity Clause;
The conflict in Syria continued undiminished into its fourth year and remains the biggest humanitarian and security crisis in the world. The humanitarian response to this complex crisis continued to place a heavy strain on aid budgets. In order to reach out to those most affected, the EU made available assistance worth over EUR 3 billion, making Europe the single largest aid donor;
Exceptional efforts were made at EU level to tackle the major Ebola outbreak in western Africa. The Commission was one of the first international donors to react to the emerging crisis in March and, by means of various instruments, contributed over EUR 414 million in direct aid to the countries and medical research, bringing the total EU contribution to EUR 1.2 billion in 2014. To strengthen the European response, Commissioner Stylianides was appointed EU Ebola Response Coordinator by the European Council in October;
The first EU Resilience Forum , jointly organised on 28 April by ECHO and the Commission’s DirectorateGeneral for International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO), attracted over 160 participants from a range of organisations and backgrounds. The Commission demonstrated strong international commitment to resilience, reaffirmed the validity of the thematic policy approach and provided guidance on how to strengthen resilience further;
The EU Children of Peace initiative was funded to the tune of EUR 6.7 million in 2014, benefiting 155 000 children;
The EU Aid Volunteers Regulation 4 adopted on 3 April will support humanitarian action and create opportunities for 18 000 people to volunteer in operations worldwide by 2020;
The new Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) implementing legislation 5 adopted at the end of 2013introduced new elements, such as the voluntary pool, buffer capacities, advisory missions and peer reviews. In addition to current UCPM participants, candidate and European Neighbourhood countries will have access to many activities;
The UCPM was activated 30 times in 2014, in response mostly to natural disasters, but also to nine man-made disasters (civil unrest, conflicts, oil pollution and accidents).
The global context
The global trend is clear: humanitarian challenges are growing in number and becoming more complex. The increasing vulnerability of certain populations gives rise to devastating humanitarian catastrophes. Endemic internal conflicts, ranging from asymmetrical terrorism to conventional war and in many cases highly ideologically charged, are intensifying.
A continuing surge in humanitarian crises
Like previous years, 2014 saw a continuing surge in humanitarian crises, including an unprecedentedly high number (four) of ‘level 3’ emergencies (the highest level in the United Nations' crisis rating system), in Syria, South Sudan, the Central African Republic and Iraq. Around the world, armed conflicts and attacks on civilians are continuing, while natural disasters occur with increasing frequency and intensity. The number of people suffering from conflicts and displacement, or lacking the most basic necessities such as food, water, medical care and shelter, is constantly on the rise. While disaster often strikes the most impoverished parts of the globe, the EU and its neighbourhood have also seen their share of conflict and emergencies. Protracted crises also show worrying trends across the globe. Needs increasingly outweigh resources and the delivery of humanitarian aid and civil protection is becoming more complex. The extensive work carried out by the EU and its Member States in 2014 made a big impact on people’s lives.
In the course of the year, 290 natural disasters killed around 16 000 people and affected over 100 million worldwide. 6Hydrological events such as floods and landslides were responsible for over half the deaths. Of the over 100 million, 34 % were affected by flood events and 39 % by droughts.
Climate change is one of the major causes of increasingly frequent climate-related events, together with population growth and patterns of economic development. The development of settlements in earthquake zones, flood plains and other high-risk areas has increased the likelihood of a routine hazard becoming a major catastrophe that affects many people.
Violations of International Humanitarian Law
Armed conflicts remain the major cause of man-made humanitarian disaster. Civilian populations are increasingly exposed to violence and suffering. The international humanitarian law and its principles are often not respected.
As in previous years, humanitarian organisations faced growing problems in gaining access to those in most need. Suchaccess restrictions were most prevalent in areas of conflict and/or due to the absence of the rule of law.
The overall situation and working environment for humanitarians continued to deteriorate, particularly in Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen and Ukraine. In other countries, in particular Somalia, Nigeria, the Central African Republic and South Sudan, the security situation remained volatile. In many conflict zones, such as Somalia and Syria, humanitarian workers witnessed particularly brutal methods of warfare, including the targeting of civilians and the use of sexual violence as a weapon.
A key challenge faced by the humanitarian system in recent years has been the growing gap between a rising number of people in need and a lack of resources to assist them. In 2014, the UN launched a consolidated funding appeal for USD 18 billion 7 for humanitarian needs, an unprecedented amount due partly to the rising cost of response, conflicts having more protracted impacts and deepening environmental vulnerability in some parts of the world.
Greater challenges require donors to respond to disasters more efficiently, making better use of their limited resources. For the Commission, this translates into:
identifying efficiency gains when working with its partners;
continuing to play a central coordination role with humanitarian actors worldwide; and