ECHO [to 3 May 2014]
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/index_en.htm

Syria crisis: new refugee camp opens in Jordan
30/04/2014 – Three years into the Syrian conflict, Jordan officially opened a third refugee camp today to accommodate the never-ending flow of Syrians fleeing the violence.

EU hosts first-of-its-kind international forum on resilience
28/04/2014 – With the increase of natural and human-made crises worldwide, building the resilience of individuals and communities is of key importance. Today, the European Commission is opening its first edition of the ‘EU Resilience Forum’, bringing together experts from EU Member States; partner organisations such as the UN, Red Cross, the World Bank, NGOs and civil society; as well as donors including the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the UK Department for International Development (DFID). Participants will jointly assess the overall progress made to date, exchange best practices and lessons learnt, and outline a way to further reduce vulnerabilities in risk-prone environments.
Organised by the Commissions’ departments for Development and Cooperation (DEVCO) and Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO), the event will serve as catalyst for the global efforts to support people in areas facing recurrent disasters or conflicts – to prepare for, withstand and recover from stresses and shocks. Addressing root causes rather than dealing with their consequences lays the foundation for that approach.
The Commission is strongly committed to boosting the resilience of the most vulnerable. It has been instrumental in endeavours to break the vicious cycle of drought, hunger and poverty in regions like Africa – with the ‘Global Alliance for Resilience Initiative’ (AGIR) in the Sahel and West Africa and the ‘Supporting the Horn of Africa’s Resilience’ (SHARE) . The Commission’s Disaster Preparedness Programme (DIPECHO) has also proven successful in limiting damage when hazards strike. Furthermore, the recently adopted Communication on the post 2015 Hyogo Framework for Action sets a common EU position towards reducing the impact of natural and human-made crises across the globe.
Acting now to reduce future suffering and loss is vital – ethically correct and cost effective: investing €1 in preparedness can save up to €7 in response operations. In 2013, over 20% of the European Commission’s relief funding was used for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and two-thirds of all projects included DRR activities, reaching out 18 million people worldwide.