ECHO (European Commission)
The European Humanitarian Aid Office (English European Commission - Humanitarian Aid & Civil Protection, ECHO ) is a specialized agency of the European Union in 1992. As an inseparable part of the Commission in the rank of General, it is subordinate to the Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid. Current Director General is the successor to the Portuguese António Cavaco since March 2008, the German Peter Zangl.
As part of the food aid, ECHO supported on the basis of Regulation 1292/96 countries with structural food shortage, such as the countries of the Sahel or those in specific emergency situations. In this way, it builds simultaneously from surpluses from the Common Agricultural Policy. Another focus of the activities of ECHO 's emergency assistance to victims of natural disasters such as the earthquake in Iran in 2003 and the tsunami in the Indian Ocean in 2004. Purpose is support for refugees, such as in Palestine, Afghanistan, East Africa, or Southeast Asia.
A large relief operation valid since August 2010 floods in Pakistan, where millions of flood victims were homeless and in the southern province of Sindh in November 3 months after the disaster is of southern Pakistan still partially standing up to 2 meters underwater.
ECHO supported by its activity about 18 million people a year in more than 60 countries, is the main actor in the humanitarian assistance worldwide. Moreover, the Office closely cooperates with more than 200 partners, among which in particular UN agencies such as the Refugees UNHCR and the World Food Programme, WFP, the International Committee of the Red Cross, but also non -governmental organizations ( NGOs) are particularly important. In Germany, these are mainly the German Agro Action, World Vision and the Malta Ambulance Corps. The financial volume of ECHO's activities amounts to approximately € 0.5 billion annually.
The Office is also subject to the EU's civil protection mechanism in case of disasters.
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