Humanitarian Aid
The European Union (EU) is the world’s largest provider of financing for humanitarian aid operations. Altogether, the European Commission and the governments of the 27 EU Member States pay for more than 50% of the assistance that comes from official channels. The European Commission itself manages almost half of this aid.
Within the Commission, operations are managed by the Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO), which falls under the responsibility of Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva. ECHO assesses humanitarian needs in disaster areas, allocates funding for goods and services (such as food, shelter, medical provisions, water supplies, sanitation or emergency repairs), and evaluates the impact of the aid provided. Disaster preparedness and risk reduction projects in regions prone to natural catastrophes are also among the life saving activities financed through ECHO. Since 1992, ECHO has funded humanitarian aid in crisis zones of more than 85 countries via its partners. Its grants cover emergency aid, food aid and aid to refugees and displaced persons worth a total of more than €1 billion per year (2011).
ECHO aid is channeled impartially to the affected populations, regardless of their race, ethnic group, religion, gender, age, nationality or political affiliation, through ECHO's operational partners. These partners include around 180 European NGOs, United Nations agencies and the Red Cross ‘family’.
ECHO in Thailand
ECHO has a Regional Support Office in Bangkok, which manages all ECHO-funded projects in East and Southeast Asia, as well as the Pacific region. In Southeast Asia, ECHO has provided support in times of disaster, such as in the wake of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2011 floods. Since 1995, ECHO has also been providing food aid, health assistance, clean water and proper sanitation systems to some 150,000 refugees living in nine camps just inside the Thai border with Burma/Myanmar.
For more information on ECHO's humanitarian aid in Thailand please follow this link.
Stories from the field in Thailand
2012
- Thailand: Refugees dare to dream of returning home?
- Thailand: Survivors of blaze in refugee camp receive emergency assistance
2011
2010
Read more stories from the field
More information
ECHO has a website with extensive information on all its activities worldwide.
For further information please contact ECHO's Regional Information Officer, Mr Mathias Eick by email (mathias.eick@echofield.eu) or phone (+66 (0) 22551035 (office) and +66(0) 898115481 (mobile))