Humanitarian Aid

Introduction

The European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Directorate General (DG ECHO) responsible for humanitarian assistance to third countries. It is a practical expression of the European Union’s solidarity with the victims of conflict or disasters, both natural and manmade all over the world. ECHO operates mainly through its implementing partners (UN agencies, Red Cross/Crescent movements and NGOs), with the following objectives:

  • save and preserve life following man-made or natural disasters;
  • provide assistance and relief to people affected by longer-lasting crisis
  • assist refugees or displaced people
  • finance the transport of aid and to ensure its accessibility
  • carry out short term rehabilitation and reconstruction work
  • ensure disaster preparedness.

ECHO's mission is to manage EU humanitarian funding in favour of populations affected by humanitarian crises and to promote disaster preparedness.

The activities of ECHO include :

  • establishing a global annual strategy and programming of aid,
  • assessing humanitarian situations and needs in emergency or structural crises,
  • concluding financing agreements with partners related to specific projects,
  • evaluating and closely monitoring the humanitarian situation in the field as well as the implementation of operations,
  • coordinating its aid efforts with other humanitarian agencies

Between 2001 and 2011, ECHO has provided € 493 million of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. Most recently, the budget allocated for the 2012 Humanitarian Implementation Plan adopted in November 2011 provides a further € 30 million in support. ECHO essentially focuses on protection, general support to conflict-affected populations including Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), returnees and refugees in neighbouring countries, responses to natural disasters, and food assistance (in remote areas and in coordination with the EU's food security thematic programme and the Food Facility). ECHO also supports the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Afghanistan, as well as humanitarian flights (PACTEC) and the NGOs safety network (ANSO).

For more information: http://ec.europa.eu/echo/index_en.htm

Visibility Guidelines

EC - Humanitarian Aid

The European Union's Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO) symbol is designed according to very precise rules. The goal is to give a homogenous image to all ECHO-produced materials. The graphic indications must be respected by all those involved in the production of ECHO-funded information materials, including leaflets, brochures, posters and various visibility products.

ECHO Visibility Guidelines pdf - 186 KB [186 KB]

For details regarding the rules for designing the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO)  symbol (as shown on the left) and how to produce covers, the layout of interior pages and the position of the symbol on a range of products, kindly visit the following website: http://ec.europa.eu/echo/media/identity_en.htm