0 . MAJOR CHANGES SINCE PREVIOUS VERSION OF THE HIP
As funds for this HIP had been completely allocated, an additional amount of EUR 2 000 000 has been added to enable response to valid and urgent funding proposals submitted to DG ECHO under this HIP.
1 . CONTEXT
As funds for this HIP had been completely allocated, an additional amount of EUR 800 000 has been added to enable response to valid and urgent funding proposals submitted to DG ECHO under this HIP. The human and economic losses caused by natural and man-made disasters are devastating. The impact of these events is exacerbated by socioeconomic factors such as high population density, fast demographic growth, inequality and poverty. This vulnerability stems from the pattern of socioeconomic development as well as inadequate risk management policies. Given the recurrent nature and frequency of natural and man-made disasters in the concerned regions, local coping capacity is strained, and particularly the poorest strata of society are becoming more and more vulnerable.
Because of high social inequality, vulnerability is often concentrated in given geographical areas (e.g. rural and/or remote) and social groups (i.e. indigenous and ethnic groups) and macroeconomic indicators can mask such local vulnerability.
Small-scale disaster events affect a relatively limited number of people, but have a serious negative impact on the livelihood of those populations. Small-scale disasters often occur in remote or isolated areas, rarely trigger a declaration of emergency and usually do not figure prominently in the news despite the serious humanitarian needs they create locally.
In the context of larger disasters, even in countries with relatively developed disaster management capacities, national response to disaster events may leave gaps of uncovered needs, related to social inequality, isolation, under reporting of events and/or inadequate capacity at local level, where only a limited humanitarian intervention is needed. Aggregate figures on the impact of disasters often hide significant inequalities, including geographic inequality, inequality between groups (gender, ethnic and race differences).
These events not only cause considerable suffering, death and damage but also the loss of household assets and livelihoods. An accumulation of shocks, even if each is relatively small, can push vulnerable populations into a vicious circle of destitution and further vulnerability, from which they struggle to recover.
Those most affected by disasters are vulnerable populations often suffering from exclusion and extreme poverty. This also holds true for countries which look relatively well off from a macro-economic perspective, where inequity and vulnerability are concentrated in given geographical areas (i.e. rural, remote, urban) and social groups (i.e. indigenous or ethnic groups). Thus, while disaster response capacity may exist at national level, pockets of unmet needs may remain.
Climate change increases disaster risks, changing the magnitude and frequency of extreme events, thus eroding further coping and response mechanisms, as well as disaster management and planning patterns.
There are large disparities in coping capacities both between countries and within countries. Many communities and local institutions lack awareness, knowledge, expertise and resources, resulting in accrued vulnerabilities.