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European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations

Archive of selected projects

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Pilot Projects

The European Commission ran a pilot project and preparatory action programmes from 2008-2010. The details on the different projects are available for consultation.

These pilot projects were financed through extraordinary funds provided by the European Parliament and Council to develop an EU rapid response capability.

Buffer capacities for addressing temporary shortcomings in extraordinary disasters

The Decision No 1313/2013/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishes a European Emergency Response Capacity (EERC) in the form a voluntary pool of pre-committed response capacities of the Participating States and sets out the eligibility for financial assistance for developing the EERC. Specifically, it opens the possibility for financial assistance to make available capacities additional to Participating States' existing capacities (hereafter "buffer capacities"), which would contribute to addressing temporary shortcomings of response capacities in extraordinary disaster situations. These buffer capacities would be registered in the voluntary pool and would be available for EU Civil Protection Mechanism deployments under the same general terms as other capacities registered in the voluntary pool.

Since 2015 we have published 4 calls for proposals for buffer capacities aimed at addressing temporary shortcomings of response capacities in extraordinary disasters.

Here below the link to the list of projects selected under each of the Call:

Enhanced Response Capacity funded projects

Enhanced Response Capacity funding has superseded the previous Capacity Building funding for International Organisations, and Grant Facility funding for NGOs. This funding is for capacity building projects with a global application designed to enhance the response of the global humanitarian system. Further information is available in the Enhanced Response Capacity Guidelines.

The following projects were supported under the 2011 Enhanced Response Capacity funding, for a maximum duration of two years until December 2012 at the latest.

ACTED (with IFRC) Shelter Cluster: Enhancing the effectiveness of emergency shelter interventions by strengthening the targeting, coordination and planning capacity of the Shelter Cluster

This multi-agency initiative from Shelter Cluster aid agencies will strengthen the targeting, coordination and planning capacity of the Shelter Cluster at country and global level by systematically reinforcing rapid inter-agency assessments in the aftermath of disasters supported by new/improved database tools and related online interactive maps integrating satellite/remote sensor data and imagery, coordinated with the Commission's Joint Research Centre. The result will be more effective assessments, as well as better targeting and delivery of relief in the immediate aftermath of a disaster.

Austrian Red Cross (with RedR): Strengthening the skills and expertise of the humanitarian sector for an enhanced response capacity

This project will contribute to improving the EUs overall capacity to respond to global humanitarian needs through engaging the resources and potential of new EU Member States. The project is implemented through the Austrian Red Cross and RedR, and will involve various European Red Cross National Societies in new EU Member States together with aid agencies in other EU Member States. The training and networking provided will develop humanitarian skills and capacity for Needs Assessment; Logistics; Disaster Risk Reduction; Water, Sanitation and Hygiene; and Human Resources and Project management.

Care–D: Reinforcing the Capacity and Coordination of the Global WASH Cluster

This multi-agency initiative from the Shelter Cluster underlines the good coordination of the main aid agencies involved in the WASH sector. This ERC funding will contribute to the Global WASH Cluster priorities of Rapid Assessment Teams, Regional WASH Cluster Experts and improved Lessons Learned in relation to the WASH Cluster approach. The result will be improved performance, greater ownership and broader and more consistent participation in the WASH Cluster or other national coordination structures. This funding is in parallel to funding through UNICEF for the WASH Cluster Rapid Response Teams.

CARE UK: Emergency Capacity Building (ECB) Project: in-country capacity building across the disaster management cycle

Implemented through a consortium of aid agencies, this proposal aims to improve the speed, quality and effectiveness of the humanitarian community to save lives, protect livelihoods and defend the rights of disaster-vulnerable people. In-country capacity to deliver high quality programs and services across all stages of the disaster management cycle will be systematically mapped, improved and tracked in five diverse disaster-vulnerable countries/regions (Bangladesh, Bolivia, the Horn of Africa, Indonesia and Niger). Learning from the process is captured and made available to support improvement in these countries/regions, and replication in other high-risk countries. This will result in improved individual and organisational capacity to mount faster, higher quality responses; to assess local disaster risks and plan, implement, and integrate relevant DRR interventions to reduce the vulnerability of communities; and better accountability towards beneficiaries and other key stakeholders. This will include an accessible, visual and comparable ‘dashboard’ consolidating assessments of country-level capacities across the disaster management cycle in five diverse disaster-vulnerable countries is available to national and international decision-makers.

Danish Refugee Council (with ICVA): NGO and Humanitarian Reform Project

The DRC, as part of the ICVA global NGO network, project will improve the global humanitarian response through better NGO coordination and engagement with (international and national) humanitarian coordination. This will help to improve NGO (national and international) representation, participation and leadership in the global humanitarian reform process, and other coordination forums for improved performance. Furthermore, the project will also result in strengthened structures, capacity and skills for NGOs in order to assume active membership and leadership in humanitarian reform forums.

Fondation Suisse de Déminage (+ Geneva Call): Protecting Humanitarian Space: Enhancing Civilian Protection through the Dissemination of Humanitarian Norms amongst Armed Non-State Actors and Civil Society

This FSD project will improve the capacity of partners and locally identified relevant stakeholders to ensure better respect for humanitarian norms by Armed non State Actors (ANSA), especially as regards the protection of civilians and humanitarian actors in the context of armed conflict and violence. This initiative will result in appropriate training and project tools for the dissemination of relevant humanitarian norms and increased capacity among partners' staff, as well as openness towards discussing general IHL, landmines, children and armed conflict, and Gender Based Violence in armed conflict.

Help Age International: Strengthening the quality and effectiveness of humanitarian assistance to older men, women and other vulnerable groups

Older people and vulnerable groups in general, such as the disabled, have specific needs related to their age but despite the commitment to the fundamental principle of impartiality, the international humanitarian system is not adequately addressing their needs, such as in humanitarian needs assessments, responses and coordination. The gaps in the humanitarian system to address older people's needs are recognised by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) and HelpAge International was requested by the IASC Working Group to provide the necessary technical assistance to enable the IASC agencies, cluster leads and other key stakeholders to improve their responses to these needs. In particular, this project will support (i) the need for best practice guidelines and training materials on humanitarian assistance and protection for older people; (ii) the incorporation of older men and women as a vulnerable group in needs assessments and (iii) the need to work more closely with other cross cutting issues – in particular gender and in all areas of capacity building for the humanitarian sector.

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC): Enhancing humanitarian logistics capacity for effective response to disasters and crisis

As part of DG ECHO's support to the Global Logistics Cluster, this project will build on the IFRC's lead expertise in this sector. The project will invest in improved preparation (such as global supply chains and warehouse management systems) for response to increase both the speed and the cost efficiency of aid delivery in a way that shares best practise across the Global Logistics Cluster to improve the performance, and reduce the costs of this key sector.

NRC/ODI: Strengthening principled humanitarian response capacities

This Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) project, in consortium with the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), will strengthen humanitarian action by increasing the capacity within the humanitarian community to operationalise humanitarian principles. Addressing this global gap in IHL application will involve donors as well as implementing partners. The main areas of intervention will be Europe, DRC, Sudan, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

UNHCR: Building capacity for registration of refugees and internally displaced

This project will significantly improve the tools and databases used for the registration and profiling of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP). This will be managed by UNHCR, in partnership with the Danish Refugee Council for IDP registration, with careful attention to the sensitivity of the basic information. The result will be an improvement in provision of more consistent, reliable and accurate core information on displacement-affected populations. The improved quality and scope of registration and resulting profiling of refugees and IDPs will facilitate the collaboration between Governments, and humanitarian and development actors and enable them to plan effective responses to displacement-risk countries.

UNICEF: Strengthening the Rapid Response Capacity of the Global Cluster for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene)

Through this funding UNICEF, in partnership with major WASH aid agencies, will ensure that the global WASH Cluster has Rapid Response Teams (arriving within 72 hours of a major crisis). This will ensure the emergency response performance of the WASH Cluster, and improve the follow-through and coordination. This project is in parallel to funding through Care-D for Rapid Assessment Teams, Regional WASH Experts and improved Lessons Learned.

United Nations World Food Programme (WFP): Enhanced Logistics Response (including rapid helicopter deployment)

This project supports the work of the Global Logistics Cluster, which has a key role in ensuring timely and appropriate humanitarian responses. This funding includes support for rapid global heavy lift helicopter capacity to improve the speed and range of responses. It also supports a wide range of tools and systems which enhance standardisation and are aimed at optimising emergency responses across the humanitarian community (http://www.logcluster.org/); as well as the Logistic Response Team trainings (LRT) aimed specifically at emergency response. Combined with other ERC funding – such as for IFRC for improved planning and preparedness for response through more efficient global supply chains, and previous funding to establish regional Humanitarian Response Depots in Dubai/United Arab Emirates, Accra/Ghana, Brindisi/Italy, Subang/Malaysia and Panama City/Panama – this provides for a much improved Logistics Cluster.

Food and Nutrition Specific:

FAO: Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC)

As part of an improved global approach to needs assessments and responses, this Asia focused component will result in the global improvement of food security programming through standardized food security classification and analysis. This will be achieved by introducing IPC for advocacy, planning, and response in food security and nutrition interventions at national and regional levels. Expected results include increased regional capacities with a pool of certified analysts available in each focus country, as well as a pool of certified IPC trainers at the regional level; standardized analysis of the food security situation is available in each focus country; and the communication and dissemination of regional in ASEAN and SAARC regions and to the FAO Global Support Unit for this project.

Save the Children UK: Filling the Gap - Scaling Up the Use of Essential Tools to Link Food Security and Nutrition

This project will reduce child under-nutrition by improving the integration of nutrition with food security. Increasing the capacity for situation analysis that integrates nutrition with food security will result in more appropriate and efficient responses.

Save the Children UK: Introduction of Minimum Reporting Package (MRP) as Standard Reporting Protocol in emergency Supplementary Feeding Programmes (SFP)

Ensuring the quality of reporting standards on supplementary feeding is necessary to ensure the quality of interventions and their impact on beneficiaries, as well as the accountability of nutritional aid agencies and their capacity to learn from experience. In coordination with the Global Nutrition Custer, this has been identified as a global gap, with inaccuracies and statistical errors were found in the present level of reporting that obscures assessment of the efficacy and effectiveness of nutritional programs. The MRP is designed to address this gap.

WFP: WFP Corporate Capacity Building in Cash and Vouchers Transfer Modalities

This project is strongly aligned to DG ECHO's commitment to increase the use of cash and vouchers in humanitarian assistance. This project directly addresses a major identified constraint to achieving the use of cash at scale - knowledge, guidance, expertise and organization wide changes to operating procedures. Specifically, this project will : help determine when and where to use cash and/or vouchers; design and implement effective cash and voucher based interventions; and deploy cash based interventions as a first line response in rapid onset emergencies at scale.

WHO: Meeting the nutritional needs of malnourished emergency-affected populations by developing evidence-based guidelines on the management of acute malnutrition

This WHO project will improve the nutritional status of emergency-affected populations by ensuring an appropriate and evidence-based management of severe and moderate acute malnutrition. This will increase the capacity of stakeholders and governments on the management of severe and moderate acute malnutrition through the provision of updated, evidence-based guidelines.

©2019 European Union (photographer: Lisa Hastert)