Humanitarian aid

Closer relations with the UN system

The European Commission's 2001 Communication entitled 'Building an effective partnership with the UN in the field of development and humanitarian affairs', was a concrete expression of the Commission's commitment to move the European Community's relationship with the UN system in the humanitarian arena into a higher gear. And it has accomplished just that: relations between the EU and EC and the respective humanitarian actors, especially in Geneva, the main centre for UN humanitarian affairs, have been considerably strengthened.

In parallel, ECHO (the Office entrusted with the management of the European Community's humanitarian aid, under the Commission's responsibility) has been engaged in building a more effective relationship with its UN partners as well through an enhanced strategic programming dialogue (SPD).

This SPD aims at identifying common ground for collaboration and seeks to provide the financial predictability needed by UN partners. SPDs initially began with the UNHCR and the WFP. They now include UNICEF, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the WHO. The scope of SPDs has been steadily growing since their inception, and they have contributed to consolidating and further strengthening cooperation at country and policy/strategy level between ECHO and its UN partners. For example, ECHO coordinates with OCHA on UN consolidated appeals for humanitarian assistance, ensuring compatibility with EC strategies and objectives.

Related to this, developments in the field of asylum at the international level - for example, the UNHCR's agenda for protection, and the EU's common asylum policy - require close consultations between the EU and the UNHCR, as prescribed by the Amsterdam Treaty. Hence, frequent meetings take place between the Commission's representatives and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr Ruud Lubbers, who also consults regularly with the EU Council.

In addition to its substantial financial support to the Red Cross Family (ICRC) - some EUR 31 million in 2002 - the EU highly values its dialogue with the ICRC, which takes place primarily in Geneva, on the issue of international humanitarian law. In addition, there are also regular high-level meetings between representatives of the ICRC and the Council's Political and Security Committee in Brussels.

Finally, EU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Poul Nielson and UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Kenzo Oshima, launched in Brussels in June 2003, the 'Guidelines on the use of military and civil defence assets in support of UN humanitarian activities in complex emergencies' (better known as the 'Oslo Guidelines II'). The text provides a blueprint for a clear relationship between military and humanitarian actors.

The role of the European Community's Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO)

ECHO is a European Commission service under the direct responsibility of Commissioner Poul Nielson, who is also in charge of development policy. ECHO's mandate is to provide emergency assistance and relief to the victims of natural disasters or armed conflict outside the European Union. This assistance is deployed via ECHO's partners in the field - the humanitarian agencies of the United Nations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the Red Cross movement and other international organisations - and is targeted directly at those in distress, irrespective of their race, religion or political convictions. The main task is to ensure that goods and services get to crisis zones fast. Goods may include essential relief supplies, specific foodstuffs, medical equipment, medicines and fuel. Services may include medical teams, water purification teams and logistical support.

Kabul just after the defeat of the Taliban. The European Union committed more than USD 815 million for reconstruction and humanitarian aid to Afghanistan in 2002, including USD 650 million for humanitarian aid since 11 September.
Photo: ECHO.

ECHO contributes substantial amounts of financial assistance to UN bodies dealing with humanitarian crises, such as the UNHCR, the WFP and UNICEF. It was established in 1992 in response to a growing number of serious humanitarian crises in the post-cold war world. Modest at the outset, the aid managed by the Office rose rapidly to reach a level similar to the total assistance provided bilaterally by the EU Member States. Humanitarian aid has thus become an important aspect of the EU's external action. Since 1992, ECHO has funded humanitarian aid in more than 85 countries. Each year it manages a budget of around EUR 500 million. And almost one third of this budget is devoted to projects run by UN humanitarian agencies, especially the UNHCR.

The EU as a whole (Member States plus European Community) is now the world's major source of humanitarian aid funding.

In addition to its core activities in funding humanitarian operations, ECHO has a number of related responsibilities: conducting feasibility studies for its operations; monitoring projects and setting up coordination arrangements; promoting disaster preparedness by training specialists; strengthening institutions; and running pilot micro-projects. ECHO also organises and supports training initiatives, and seeks to raise public awareness about humanitarian issues in Europe and elsewhere.

Meeting new needs in Iraq

ECHO has been the largest external donor of humanitarian aid to Iraq, providing EUR 157 million for relief actions over the last 12 years. ECHO's strategy is to be as flexible as possible, ensuring that its activities reflect the changing nature of the Iraq crisis. In effect, this means having a 'rolling programme' of humanitarian aid decisions adapted to needs as they emerge.

In the early 1990s, the greatest need was among the Kurdish population in the north. Prior to the 2003 war, the most vulnerable groups were in the centre and south of the country, where social services had progressively deteriorated through lack of investment and infrastructure. A key element in ECHO's programme before March 2003 was the rehabilitation of institutions, such as children's homes, residential centres for the handicapped and health facilities that had fallen into disrepair. As soon as hostilities broke out, ECHO re-directed its EUR 13 million programme for 2002-03 to more immediate needs, including tanked water, food rations and medical aid for the warwounded. The Commission also announced a further EUR 21 million in humanitarian aid from ECHO's regular budget, and obtained an additional EUR 79 million from the emergency budget reserve, making a total of EUR 100 million to help meet the new needs generated by the war.

European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid Poul Nielson visits Al Yarmuk hospital in Baghdad, Iraq. ECHO is funding humanitarian assistance to the hospital through the French NGO, Premičre Urgence. May 2003.
Photo: Premičre Urgence.

Helping the vulnerable in Chechnya

Since the resumption of the conflict in autumn 1999, the people of Chechnya have suffered great hardship, with a large part of the population forced to leave their homes to escape fighting and insecurity. Many internally displaced people (IDPs) sought refuge elsewhere in Chechnya itself, while others fled to neighbouring republics, in particular Ingushetia and Daghestan. Today, this vulnerable population is heavily dependent on humanitarian aid. The Humanitarian Aid Office is striving to help the victims of this forgotten crisis, although operating conditions remain extremely difficult. ECHO's partners only have irregular access to Chechnya and work in a highly insecure environment.

Despite these difficulties, ECHO assistance has helped to cover the priority humanitarian needs of the population affected by the conflict, both in Chechnya and in neighbouring republics. ECHO funding is used to provide food aid, medical assistance and educational and psychosocial support for IDPs and other vulnerable people. It is also used to improve water and sanitation facilities and shelter conditions. In 2002, ECHO allocated EUR 28 million for victims of the conflict in Chechnya. Since the current crisis began, ECHO has granted more than EUR 90 million, making the EU the leading donor to the region.

Providing humanitarian transport for the Horn of Africa

ECHO Flight is a vital partner to most humanitarian agencies operating in the Horn of Africa and Great Lakes region, transporting personnel and supplies to dozens of remote locations that would otherwise be cut off from the outside world.

From its base in Nairobi and satellite hubs in Mogadishu and Hargeisa (Somalia), Mandera (Kenya) and Goma (Democratic Republic of the Congo), ECHO Flight provides free air transport capacity to aid agencies operating relief and development programmes in Somalia, north-eastern Kenya and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Personnel and cargo are flown aboard scheduled flights using a fleet of five light aircraft.

Since its launch in May 1994, the service has clocked over 50 000 missions and carried more than 200 000 aid workers and 6 000 tonnes of food and medical supplies to some of the world's most desperate populations. The service has also carried out more than 200 emergency medical or security evacuations.

ECHO Flight has provided support to relief operations during the Rwandan genocide, the refugee crises in Uganda, Ethiopia and Sudan, and the volcanic eruptions in Goma. With an annual budget of about EUR 8 million, ECHO Flight continues as a concrete expression of Europe's humanitarian commitment to the region.

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