Humanitarian aid: EU releases €8 million for the Philippines, Nepal and South-East Asia

Today, the Commission has announced the release of €8 million in humanitarian assistance and disasters preparedness funding for the Philippines, Nepal and other South-East Asian countries to support people affected by recurrent natural hazards and conflict, among other causes of vulnerability.

The funding will be allocated as follows:

• €3.5 million for the Philippines (€1.5 million for humanitarian assistance to those affected by natural hazards and the protracted conflict in Mindanao, and €2 million for disaster preparedness interventions)
• €2 million for Nepal
• €2.3 million for the whole South-East Asia region to target disaster preparedness interventions and contingency response plans.

Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, said: “People in South-East Asia are suffering the dramatic consequences of climate shocks and conflict. The trail of destruction left by extreme weather events such as Typhoon Rai and Tropical storm Nalgae adds to the already limited coping capacity of people. For this reason, the EU is renewing its humanitarian support to the most vulnerable in the Philippines, Nepal and the region of South-East Asia, including a targeted investment in disaster preparedness.”

Background

Countries in the South-East Asia region are frequently affected by natural hazards such as typhoons, floods and droughts. For this reason, besides the Philippines and Nepal, the European Union funds projects focusing on community resilience and disaster preparedness also in countries such as Vietnam and Laos.

Since 1996, the European Commission has provided over €158 million in humanitarian funding to the Philippines. Recurring natural hazards and the ongoing conflict between the government and armed groups in Mindanao are still heavily affecting the humanitarian situation in the country. This context results in a precarious humanitarian situation affected by significant loss of life, family resources and homes.

Nepal is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world due to its location and unstable weather patterns. Climate change and population density amplify the effects of natural hazards.

The EU supports continued initiatives to mitigate the risks of these events and improve the disaster preparedness capacities of the local population, having allocated over €118 million in humanitarian aid for the country since 2001.