Across the world people suffer from crisis situations, man-made or natural disasters. The world's leading donor of humanitarian aid is the EU. Saving lives is the primary mandate of the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO). Since its creation in 1992, ECHO has financed humanitarian aid in more than 140 countries. ECHO provides relief assistance through humanitarian aid and civil protection actions. ECHO helps over 120 million victims of conflicts and disasters each year and addresses forgotten crises, which escape the attention of media and the international community. -- EU Bookshop.

The EU, together with its Member States, is the world{u2019}s leading humanitarian aid donor, providing and coordinating relief assistance to people in areas hit by disasters in Europe and around the globe.

The images of conflicts and disasters which fill our television screens and newspapers are the backdrop to our world's increasingly complex and vulnerable environment. As the scale of natural disasters and conflicts increases, humanitarian needs grow. The EU responds by providing emergency assistance to victims of disasters and conflicts based on their needs around the world. It does this through the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department (ECHO). ECHO's mission is to alleviate suffering, maintain the dignity of those affected and save lives. This is one of the most tangible expressions of the EU's core value of solidarity. This publication is a part of a series that explains what the EU does in different policy areas, why the EU is involved and what the results are.

With a Foreword by Kristalina Georgieva, European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Over the last decades natural and man-made disasters have been increasing in terms of frequency, size, number of people affected and material damage caused. There is growing awareness of the importance of adequate national and international legal frameworks for disaster prevention, mitigation and response. The implementation of these frameworks, however, poses serious challenges. This book analyses International Disaster Response Law as developed in recent times and identifies the main existing normative gaps. The authors address the rights and duties of States in preventing and mitigating disasters, in facilitating access to their territory for humanitarian relief actors, as well as issues related to liability and compensation. Due attention is paid to European Union law governing disaster response (and to its reform in the light of the Lisbon Treaty) and to the main trends in domestic legislation. Human rights obligations are thoroughly examined and the potential relevance of international criminal law is assessed. Additional topics such as the status of relief personnel, the hindrances to the delivery of relief consignments by customs and excise administration, the use of civilian and military defence assets in emergency situations, the mechanisms and procedures available to offer financial support for recovery and rehabilitation, risk insurance, and the issue of corruption during disaster-related activities are specifically addressed. By drawing on the expertise of lawyers, political scientists, economists and humanitarian practitioners, the book promotes much-needed interdisciplinary dialog and sheds light on a largely uncharted field of research. It is therefore essential reading for academics and practitioners in international and EU law, policy makers, civil protection and humanitarian operators and for anyone interested in exploring the legal facets of the international community’s response to large-scale calamitous events. Over the last decades natural and man-made disasters have been increasing in terms of frequency, size, number of people affected and material damage caused. There is growing awareness of the importance of adequate national and international legal frameworks for disaster prevention, mitigation and response. The implementation of these frameworks, however, poses serious challenges. This book analyses International Disaster Response Law as developed in recent times and identifies the main existing normative gaps. The authors address the rights and duties of States in preventing and mitigating disasters, in facilitating access to their territory for humanitarian relief actors, as well as issues related to liability and compensation. Due attention is paid to European Union law governing disaster response (and to its reform in the light of the Lisbon Treaty) and to the main trends in domestic legislation. Human rights obligations are thoroughly examined and the potential relevance of international criminal law is assessed. Additional topics such as the status of relief personnel, the hindrances to the delivery of relief consignments by customs and excise administration, the use of civilian and military defence assets in emergency situations, the mechanisms and procedures available to offer financial support for recovery and rehabilitation, risk insurance, and the issue of corruption during disaster-related activities are specifically addressed. By drawing on the expertise of lawyers, political scientists, economists and humanitarian practitioners, the book promotes much-needed interdisciplinary dialog and sheds light on a largely uncharted field of research. It is therefore essential reading for academics and practitioners in international and EU law, policy makers, civil protection and humanitarian operators and for anyone interested in exploring the legal facets of the international community’s response to large-scale calamitous events.

'European humanitarian aid makes a true difference for thousands and thousands of people who know that Europe is a force which stands for those universal values that are so essential to make the world a better place to live in.' This brochure is part of the series 'The European Union explained' that explains what the EU does in the fields where it has powers, why it does this and what it achieves -- EU Bookshop.