Central African Republic: Raising the alarm at ECOSOC on a regional crisis

23/06/2014 - Commissioner Georgieva is in New York where she is participating in the humanitarian segment of the United Nations Economic and Social (...)

More EU humanitarian aid to Iraqis fleeing from violence

19/06/2014 - The European Commission will increase its humanitarian assistance to Iraq by €5 million following the displacement of hundreds of thousands (...)

Sudan: bombing of a hospital is unacceptable

18/06/2014 - "I am deeply disturbed by the bombing and partial destruction of a hospital during an aerial attack on the Sudanese village of Farandalla (...)"

Ukraine: All parties must protect civilians

14/06/2014 - "I am gravely concerned by recent developments in the eastern region of Ukraine, especially when innocent civilians, including (...)"

Iraq: another humanitarian crisis in the Middle East

12/06/2014 - A major humanitarian crisis is underway in Iraq as a result of fierce fighting between the Iraqi Security Forces and armed opposition groups. (...)

TYPHOON YOLANDA/HAIYAN – Commissioner Georgieva returns to Tacloban

04/06/2014 - Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva is back in Tacloban where, seven months ago, the world's most powerful typhoon ever recorded making landfall devastated a large region of the Philippines. (...)

The EU's support to Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina after the floods

23/05/2014 - The European Union has been showing solidarity with Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina which are struggling with overwhelming floods. (...)

EU steps up assistance for flood victims in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina as Commissioner Georgieva visits the region

20/05/2014 - The number of Member States which have offered assistance to Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina has risen to nineteen in response to record-breaking floods (...)

EU assistance underway for flood victims in Serbia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina

17/05/2014 - The European Union is providing coordinated assistance through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism which has been activated upon the request of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina due to severe flooding in both countries. (...)

Chile disaster: European Commission follows developments

02/04/2014 - The European Commission is closely monitoring the situation in Chile, where a strong earthquake and several aftershocks struck yesterday. (...)

The European Commission's support to Ukraine

05/03/2014 - 05/03/2014 – The European Commission agreed today a package of support to Ukraine(...)

New study strengthens the case for boosting flood protection

03/03/2014 - 03/03/2014 – Environmental policy can spur economic growth by boosting flood protection, shows a study published by the European Commission today(...)

Typhoon Haiyan: European Commission increases aid to €40 million

17/12/2013 - The European Commission is making available an additional €20 million in emergency aid for the worst-hit communities in the Philippines still suffering from the massive destruction caused by Typhoon Haiyan. (...)

Commission welcomes Parliament's vote in favour of better European cooperation against disasters

10/12/2013 - The European Parliament today adopted new legislation on EU Civil Protection which paves the way for a stronger European cooperation in responding to disasters. (...)

EU experts help Nigeria boost preparedness for new devastating floods

13/08/2013 - A team of European experts in civil protection is leaving for Nigeria today to advise on measures to prepare for and mitigate the impact of floods. (...)

Wildfires largely contained thanks to Croatia's assistance

12/08/2013 - Forest fires in western Bosnia and Herzegovina have been largely contained thanks to assistance provided by Croatia via the European Civil Protection Mechanism. (...)

EU Emergency Response Centre helps tackle fires in Bosnia and Herzegovina

08/08/2013 - The European Commission's Emergency Response Centre (ERC) is facilitating the urgent provision of assistance to fight the growing forest fires in Bosnia and Herzegovina (...)

Princess Marie of Denmark visits Emergency Response Centre

19/06/2013 - The new European Emergency Response Centre is welcoming another high-level guest – Her Royal Highness Princess Marie of Denmark is going to visit there tomorrow (...)

Commissioner Georgieva attends civil protection exercise in France

12/06/2013 - Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva is attending a large-scale, two-day European exercise in civil protection near Lyon, France, together with Manuel Valls, the French Minister of the Interior. (...)

Fire-fighting and tackling industrial emergencies in Slovakia

23/11/2012 - Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva is in Bratislava, the capital city of Slovakia, where she will watch two demonstrations by the country's civil protection services. She will begin her visit by (...)

More aid to reach violence victims in Myanmar

16/11/2012 - The European Commission is increasing its funding for victims of the recent inter-communal violence in Rakhine state in Burma/Myanmar by €1 million (...)

The Commission helps boost civil protection in the Euro-Mediterranean region

08/11/2012 - A new civil protection programme in the Mediterranean region will build on the success of the Euro-Mediterranean Regional Programme for the Prevention, Preparedness and Response to natural and man-made Disasters (...)

Commissioner Georgieva discusses humanitarian operations and disaster response with Russian counterparts

18/09/2012 - – Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva is in Moscow, holding high-level meetings at EMERCOM(...)

Additional EU support to reach Syrian refugees in Jordan

14/09/2012 - The authorities in Jordan have officially requested urgent assistance through the European Commission's Monitoring and (...)

EU Civil Protection Mechanism supports Portugal to fight forest fires

03/09/2012 - The European Commission is supporting the efforts to tackle the serious forest fires in Portugal. The authorities in Lisbon requested (...)

Montenegro receives European assistance to fight forest fires

16/07/2012 - The European Civil Protection Mechanism is coordinating fire-fighting assistance to Montenegro, which requested help on (...)

The Commission invests in preparing vulnerable communities for disaster risks

13/07/2012 - Millions of people from the most vulnerable and poorest communities in Central America, Central Asia and the Caucasus, South-East Asia and (...)

Commissioner Georgieva meets Spanish officials to discuss civil protection and humanitarian aid

12/07/2012 - Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva is in Madrid to discuss civil protection and humanitarian aid issues with her counterparts in the (...)

High-level international figures focus on building disaster-resilient societies

01/07/2012 - Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva is in Japan, where she will attend a high-level international conference on large-scale natural disasters. The event focuses on building resilient societies. (...)

Record number of Europeans support EU humanitarian aid

08/06/2012 - Public support for humanitarian aid has gone up in the European Union in spite of the economic crisis. This is one of the key findings of the latest Eurobarometer survey on (...)

Preventing, managing and responding to crises: Commissioner Georgieva at the Sofia Security Forum

17/05/2012 - How should we protect citizens from disasters caused by nature and men? How should we organise Europe's disaster response capacities in a coherent, efficient and cost-effective way? And how can we prevent crises from happening in the first place? (...)

ECHO turns 20: follow the launch event today!

20/03/2012 - This year we mark the 20th anniversary of ECHO, the European Commission's humanitarian aid service. An occasion to celebrate and reflect on the present and future challenges for humanitarian work (...)

Commissioner Georgieva on solidarity visit to disaster-stricken Brazzaville

05/03/2012 - Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva has interrupted her visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo to travel to the neighbouring Republic of Congo, whose capital was rocked by a series of explosions which took hundreds of lives and injured over a (...)

The EU Civil Protection Mechanism welcomes its 32nd member

14/02/2012 - The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has become the 32nd member of the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism. This brings the country into a community of European nations which work together for better prevention, preparedness and response to disasters.(...)

European countries and Commission offer swift aid to Turkey in coordinated solidarity gesture

28/10/2011 - Fourteen European Union countries have responded to the call for assistance to Turkey that was transmitted by the European Commission on Wednesday night. After the strong earthquakes that inflicted massive damage in the Turkish province of Van, (...)

Europe works with Turkey to help quake survivors

27/10/2011 - The Commission's emergency response centre is coordinating European support for Turkey after the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck the country's Van province. Turkey has requested family-type tents and pre-fabricated housing to shelter those made homeless. (...)

Coordinated EU operation to tackle forest fires in Greece and Albania

26/08/2011 - Greece has activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, requesting urgent aerial assistance to fight forest fires raging in Alexandroupolis (in the north-east of the country). This was followed by a request for assistance from Albania. Within a few hours, (...)

European Civil Protection Mechanism activated to help Japan cope with earthquake/tsunami destruction

11/03/2011 - At the request of Japan, the European Commission has activated the European Civil Protection Mechanism to provide assistance in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck the country earlier today. Japan has requested search and rescue teams and search dogs for ongoing operations. (...)

Commissioner Georgieva discussed joint priorities with the upcoming Polish Presidency

18/02/2011 - Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva visited Poland – a member state with an excellent track record of cooperation within the EU's Civil Protection Mechanism, and the leader among new members in the provision of humanitarian aid. The Commissioner had a day of productive meetings in Warsaw, (...)

Hungary accident: European team of five experts to start working on the ground

11/10/2010 - A European civil protection team of five experts from France, Belgium, Sweden, Austria and Germany has arrived in Hungary this morinng (11/10) to support the Hungarian authorities in their efforts to combat the pollution caused by the break of a sludge depository in the city of Ajka. The experts will start working immediately in the place of the accident, (...)

Hungary activates the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and requests technical expertise to combat mud pollution

08/10/2010 - At 19h36 of 07 October, Hungary activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism for urgent international assistance in response to the pollution caused by the breakdown of a sludge depository in the city of Ajka. The Hungarian authorities have identified an immediate need for three to five experts with strong field experience in handling toxic sludge, (...)

Pollution in Hungary - MIC follows developments and remains in contact with Hungarian authorities

07/10/2010 - The ongoing emergency in Hungary is being followed closely by the EU's Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC), which stands ready to provide assistance to the Hungarian authorities. Commissioner Georgieva has been in telephone contact with the Hungarian Minister of Interior, Sándor Pintér, to express her support to the Hungarian authorities, (...)

Commissioner Georgieva attends the 6th European Congress on Civil Protection and Disaster Management

08/09/2010 - On September 8th, the European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, Kristalina Georgieva delivered a keynote presentation on the opening session of the 6th European Congress on Civil Protection and Disaster Management that took place in City Hall Bad Godesberg of the former German federal capital, Bonn. The main subject of the conference was "Enhancing European and National Networks for a successful Civil Protection"(...)

The Commission and Member States join efforts to transport large relief aid to Pakistan

01/09/2010 - An Antonov AN-124 cargo aircraft is leaving for Pakistan today with 100 tons of assistance provided in a joint effort by Germany, Italy, Austria and the Czech Republic, which is offering the plane on a cost-free basis. This shipment is coordinated by the Commission's Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC) which currently has a team of civil protection experts in Pakistan to monitor the distribution of EU in-kind assistance, (...)

European Civil Protection active in forest fire fighting in Portugal

28/07/2010 - In the afternoon of Tuesday 27th of July the Portuguese authorities requested assistance through the European Civil Protection Mechanism. Due to its present critical forest fire situation Portugal requested heavy aerial means for forest fire combat operations consisting of two water bomber planes. The request immediately triggered several offers of assistance by Italy, Greece and France. Spain had already assisted Portugal in fighting fires in the Viseu and Braga region. (...)

Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva on official visit to Greece

15/07/2010 - Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Kristalina Georgieva, will pay an official visit to Greece on the 16th of July. Whilst in Greece the Commissioner will hold meetings with the Minister for Citizen's Protection Michalis Chrysohoidis; the Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change Tina Birbili; the deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Spyros Kouvelis and the Alternate Minister of Defence Panos Beglitis (...)

Generous response to the Hungarian request for sandbags to combat floods

27/05/2010 - At 20h00 on 25 May, Hungary activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism for urgent assistance in the response to the flood situation in the country. Hungary identified an immediate need for up to 2 million sandbags to strengthen its flood containment capacity. In response to the call send by the Monitoring and Information Center, (...)

EU Civil Protection Mechanism activated to support Poland in managing severe floods

19/05/2010 - On 19th of May, at 05:30 Brussels time, Poland activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism requesting support in addressing the severe floods currently affecting large areas of the country. The request for high capacity pumping equipment and teams was immediately communicated to all Participating States through the Commission's Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC) (...)

Commissioner Georgieva visits Bulgarian Civil Protection Training Centre in Montana

23/04/2010 - Commissioner Georgieva took part in rescue operation exercises and received a diploma for completing basic training. The Centre is certified by NATO and is a part of their network of training centres.