Union and UN seek more ties for disaster aid

Date: 04/11/04

THE European Commission's response to natural disasters and other emergencies is to be more closely tied to the work of the OCHA - the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

An agreement between the Commission and OCHA provides for regular exchanges of information, a framework for more effective coordination and delivery of assistance in the field participation in each other's training activities, exercises and planning.

In addition, after each emergency - natural or man-made disasters requiring an international response - the two sides will meet to take stock of lessons learned.

The OCHA has the job of coordinating international responses to humanitarian emergencies, developing policy and taking up humanitarian causes with the UN Security Council.

Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström said that closer cooperation with the OCHA would increase the benefits to victims.

And Jan Egeland, UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, said: "UN OCHA has unique experience in disaster relief, matured over more than 30 years, and it has developed a capacity to deal with more than 100 emergencies per year."

The European Commission and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) agreed on 3 November 2004 to reinforce their cooperation in the area of disaster relief to better serve the needs of the victims. The agreement aims to ensure efficient co-operation when both organisations provide or facilitate assistance to a country hit by man-made or natural disasters.

European Commission: Press Release: IP/04/1333 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/04/1333&format=HTML&aged=0&language=en&guiLanguage=en

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