RP among countries to get EC funding for disaster preparedness

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines is among the countries to receive assistance from the European Commission’s euro27.325-million fund to help improve capacities of communities and local authorities in disaster preparedness, according to the Delegation of the European Commission to the Philippines.

The EC has allocated euro27.325 million from its humanitarian aid budget to improve the capacities of communities at risk in Central America, Central Asia and Southeast Asia to better protect themselves against natural disasters.

The fund will be channeled through the EC’s humanitarian aid department under the direct responsibility of Commissioner Louis Michel.

“Every year the Commission provides humanitarian assistance following natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, cyclones and typhoons,” Michel said.

“Considering the current trends in climate change related natural disasters, helping the disaster-prone communities to be better prepared for disasters is essential to saving lives.”

Ten million euro will go to Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama), euro10 million to Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, Timor Leste and Vietnam, while through regional initiatives Myanmar and Thailand), and euro7.325 million to Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan).

The allocated funds will target the most vulnerable local communities and their institutions, those at greatest risk from natural hazards and with the lowest coping capacities.

The EC said with the funds, these countries will be better able to save lives and protect livelihoods if disaster strikes.

The goal is also to improve advocacy for Disaster Risk Reduction measures by means of better exchange of information, documentation of lessons learned and best practices which can be replicated and therefore sustained. Integration of DRR into local development and economic plans will be further promoted.

Regions identified are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes/cyclones, tropical storms, floods and landslides, drought and volcanoes, the EC added.

The EC said losses and destruction from disasters are very significant from a social and economic point of view and reduce the development potential of the three regions, indirectly slowing down the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals’ proposed actions.

“It is important to highlight that, during the recent floods in Vietnam and the Philippines, hurricane Felix in Nicaragua and the earthquake in Kyrgyzstan, communities and local authorities participating in ongoing or previous DIPECHO projects could evacuate and respond faster and in a more organized way, saving many lives,” the EC said.