The ambulance, worth SZL 1 million (approx. 60 000 Euro) will increase and strengthen the capacity of the First Aid Unit within the Baphalali Red Cross Society and will also benefit both public and private healthcare in the Kingdom.

Presenting the ambulance, EU Ambassador to Eswatini, Dessislava Choumelova, said: “The European Union with our 27 Member States is the biggest provider of humanitarian assistance in the world. In the last two years, we have supported most vulnerable households in Eswatini to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 and most recently – of the hailstorms. Our strong partnership with the Baphalali Eswatini Red Cross Society and the Finnish Red Cross is a guarantee that our assistance reaches those who need it most. Today, we are proud and pleased to be able to provide further assistance to Eswatini in the form of this much-needed ambulance which is meant to strengthen first aid services in the country.”

Receiving the equipment, Baphalali Eswatini Red Cross Society President, Dr Bongani Masuku, thanked the EU for this generous support provided through ECHO.

“This vehicle has come at the right when there is need to increase the capacity of the national society to respond to health and first aid emergencies. With the rise of emergencies in the country, as an organisation, there was a great need to have our first aid support increased and thus we are grateful to the European Union for this support,” said Dr Masuku.

Apart from this support, the EU, through ECHO and the Finnish Red Cross currently collaborate with Baphalali Eswatini Red Cross to provide life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable Emaswati in all four regions of the country. Through this three-year programme, which started in September 2022, the EU will provide up to SZL 90 million focusing on disaster risk management and crisis preparedness, addressing the food security, health and protection needs of the most vulnerable populations and providing livelihood opportunities in the most fragile communities.

In December 2022, the EU further provided EUR 80 000 (approx. 1.4 million SZL) in humanitarian funding to benefit over 213 households or 1 058 people in the communities of Nsingizini and Nsubane areas in the Shiselweni region who were affected by recent hailstorms.

Background

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.

Through its Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations department, the European Union helps millions of victims of conflict and disasters every year. With headquarters in Brussels and a global network of field offices, the European Union provides assistance to the most vulnerable people on the basis of humanitarian needs.

The European Union is signatory to a €3 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 Disaster Response Emergency Fund 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 €3 million.