THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/96 of 20 June 1996 concerning humanitarian aid ("the Humanitarian Aid Regulation"), and in particular Article 2, notably 2 (c), Article 4 and Article 15(2) and (3) thereof,

Having regard to Council Decision 2001/822/EC of 27 November 2001 on the association of the overseas countries and territories with the European Community ("Overseas Association Decision"), and in particular Articles 21 and 30 thereof,

Whereas:

Overview

The United Nations and its partners have dramatically increased their 2013 humanitarian appeal for Syria to approximately US$4.4 billion, from the $1.5 billion that was requested to cover January to June. This reflects the fact that the needs of people in Syria, and of those who have fled the country, are growing by the day.

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This report has the distinction of being the first ever Global Communities Annual Report and also the 60th anniversary report of the organization that began in 1952 as the Foundation for Cooperative Housing. It therefore explores both our new direction and our heritage, with the focus being the 60 years of partnership that has been and remains at the core of our work.

0 . MAJOR CHANGES SINCE PREVIOUS VERSION OF THE HIP

The just-published 2012 Annual Report on Switzerland's International Cooperation sets out a unified strategy that encompasses – for the first time – humanitarian aid, technical and financial cooperation, economic and trade policy measures, and cooperation with the countries of Eastern Europe. SDC Director-General Martin Dahinden and State Secretary and Director of SECO Marie-Gabrielle Ineichen-Fleisch stress that this important milestone has been welcomed both by Parliament and by public opinion.

UNRWA health programme hard hit in Syria but the UN agency's work is having an impact

Today, during the World Health Organization’s sixty sixth’s Annual World Health Summit, UNRWA released its Health Department 2012 Annual Report. The publication reflects on the operational challenges, the Agency has faced with rolling out an ongoing health reform and managing regular services during times of conflict.

The Global Overview collates information from a range of sources and displays it in a manner that allows for quick comparison of different humanitarian crises.

The Global Overview collates information from a range of sources and displays it in a manner that allows for quick comparison of different humanitarian crises.