Attachments
Key messages
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The Pacific region is frequently hit by natural disasters such as cyclones, floods, droughts and earthquakes. Pacific countries rank among the highest in the world in terms of numbers of casualties and people affected. The European Commission provides humanitarian assistance to the region both in terms of disaster preparedness and emergency relief when major disasters strike.
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In response to the impact of the 2015-2016 El Niño system in several Pacific countries, the European Commission’s humanitarian aid department (ECHO) released funds for drought relief in the hardest-hit country, Papua New Guinea.
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Following Tropical Cyclone Winston that swept across Fiji in late February 2016, the Commission made €1 million available to provide emergency assistance to the most vulnerable families. In addition, through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, essential relief items were also delivered to impacted communities.
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Promoting and enabling active participation of both women and men in training, planning and decision-making for Disaster Risk Reduction* and emergency response is crucial for reducing vulnerability to natural disasters in the Pacific. It is also important to develop links with development programmes and climate change action to increase community resilience to natural disasters.