Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council. Annual report on the European Union’s humanitarian aid and civil protection policies and their implementation in 2014

This report presents the Commission’s main activities and policy outcomes in 2014 in the field of humanitarian aid and civil protection, as carried out through its Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO).

Mr Stylianides succeeded Ms Georgieva as Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and crisis management on 1 November 2014, with the mandate to deliver assistance to alleviate humanitarian crises around the world and to foster cooperation among civil protection authorities across Europe in responding to natural or man-made disasters in Europe and beyond. ECHO’s mission to help save and preserve life, prevent and alleviate human suffering and safeguard the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by crises is fulfilled through humanitarian assistance and civil protection operations.

EU humanitarian aid is a lifeline for communities and victims of new, recurrent and protracted crises. It allows them to prepare better for future emergencies. Complementary civil protection operations offer immediate support in the form of expert teams, rescue equipment and real-time monitoring of developing disasters, in the EU and elsewhere. When disaster strikes, timely and effective intervention by the international community can make the difference between life and death. The EU and its Member States rose to the challenge of the major needs in 2014 and continued to provide a major proportion of the total reported international humanitarian response.