THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/96 of 20 June 1996 concerning humanitarian aid("the Humanitarian Aid Regulation"), and in particular Article 2, notably 2 (c), Article 4 and Article 15(2) and (3) thereof,
Having regard to Council Decision 2001/822/EC of 27 November 2001 on the association of the overseas countries and territories with the European Community ("Overseas Association Decision"), and in particular Articles 21 and 30 thereof,
Whereas:
(1) The global humanitarian context in 2013 will, in all likelihood, remain challenging with similar trends to those experienced in 2012 with the intensity and range of crises surpassing the levels encountered in previous years, thus resulting in an increase in the overall total of people affected and in need of international assistance. This increase in humanitarian needs is related to protracted or recurrent humanitarian crises, such as long-term conflict or droughts, and those resulting from sudden new emergencies. In line with the Good Humanitarian Donorship principles, it is important that the response to sudden new emergencies, such as earthquakes or conflicts, does not detract from addressing existing or recurrent humanitarian crises.
(2) Constantly increasing global needs are the result of a combination of factors, notably the larger number of refugees and displaced persons resulting from man-made crises, the impact of natural disasters which is increasing, partly as a result of climate change, the continued impact of the economic crisis affecting particularly the most vulnerable populations and a tightening of the humanitarian space that make the delivery of aid and access to beneficiaries more and more difficult and dangerous. In this context and for each crisis, a specific country/region evaluation of needs per sector is conducted by the European Commission in order to provide a first hand account of crisis pockets and to give an insight into the nature and the depth of needs. This is combined with a Global Needs Assessment, based on two sets of indicators (crisis and vulnerability), the Forgotten Crisis Assessment (FCA) and the Food Insecurity Needs Assessment (FINAT). These evaluations and tools provide the framework to determine the sectors and locations of greatest needs and to provide an appropriate allocation of funds accordingly.
(3) Man-made humanitarian crises, resulting from wars or outbreaks of fighting (also called complex or protracted crises) account for a large proportion and the main source of humanitarian needs in the world. In man-made crises, such as Sudan and South Sudan, Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Yemen, the occupied Palestinian territory and Syria, the EU humanitarian intervention, which takes place alongside development, stabilisation and/or state-building interventions, addresses life-saving needs, and protects several millions of vulnerable people, including notably refugees and returnees, internally displaced as well as host communities . Where possible, it should also prepare conditions for a proper transition towards longer term interventions (Linking Relief Rehabilitation and Development - LRRD) and build the resilience of the most vulnerable populations. It is in those contexts that access and security problems make the delivery of aid particularly difficult or dangerous. The needs resulting from such crises may be further exacerbated by natural disasters, such as drought or floods, as is the case in Chad, Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Afghanistan or Pakistan. Such natural disasters and extreme weather conditions may restrict some interventions and may also require rapid reorientation of other activities to meet new priority needs of the affected populations.
(4) The human and economic losses caused by natural disasters are devastating. These natural disasters, be they of sudden or slow onset, that entail major loss of life, physical and psychological or social suffering or material damage, are constantly increasing, and with them, so is the number of victims. In this respect, vulnerable populations affected by natural disasters and climate change rely on EU humanitarian assistance, including food assistance, nutrition and protection. Recurrent acute humanitarian needs have been identified in various situations, such as the drought affected areas in the Sahel or the Horn of Africa.