New Delhi: The European Union (EU) is allocating €100,000 (nearly nine million Indian rupees) to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to families affected by the floods that recently struck large parts of northern India. The aid will benefit 40,000 people in the worst-hit localities in the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, sources said on Wednesday.
This EU funding supports the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) in delivering emergency shelter and household items, including tarpaulins, kitchen sets, woollen blankets, and hygiene kits. Health and hygiene awareness campaigns will also be carried out to prevent the spread of communicable diseases, which are common in the aftermath of flooding.
The funding is part of the EU’s overall contribution to the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
In mid-August, a series of incessant Monsoon rains in the mountainous states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand triggered widespread flooding and landslides that affected over 150,000 people in several areas. The floods washed away homes and displaced thousands of people. Key infrastructure including power lines also sustained heavy damage. Shimla, Himachal Pradesh’s commercial and cultural capital, was amongst the worst affected areas.
The European Union and its Member States are the world's leading donor of humanitarian aid. Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity with people in need all around the world. It aims to save lives, prevent and alleviate human suffering, and safeguard the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by natural disasters and man-made crises.
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Through its Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations department, the EU helps millions of victims of conflict and disasters every year. With headquarters in Brussels and a global network of field offices, the EU assists the most vulnerable people based on humanitarian needs.
The European Union is a signatory to a €10 million humanitarian delegation agreement with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support the Federation's Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF). Funds from the DREF are mainly allocated to “small-scale” disasters – those that do not give rise to a formal international appeal.
The DREF was established in 1985 and is supported by contributions from donors. Each time a National Red Cross or Red Crescent Society needs immediate financial support to respond to a disaster, it can request funds from the DREF.
For small-scale disasters, the IFRC allocates grants from the Fund, which can then be replenished by the donors. The delegation agreement between the IFRC and ECHO enables the latter to replenish the DREF for agreed operations (that fit within its humanitarian mandate) up to a total of €10 million.
