EU brings relief to the victims of drought in Papua New Guinea

Port Moresby, October 1st, 2015 – In response to the prolonged dry spell which is affecting Papua New Guinea as a result of the El Niño phenomenon in the Pacific region, the European Commission is providing 110 000 EUR in humanitarian funding to assist the most affected inhabitants.

This EU-funding supports the Papua New Guinea Red Cross (PNGRCS) in delivering much needed relief assistance, including the provision of water containers and hygiene kits, which will be complemented with hygiene promotion and disease prevention messages. This aid will directly benefit 3,000 families which have been impacted by the severe climatic event. 

The funds will also cover costs related to mobilizing PNRCS staff and volunteers as well as technical expertise from the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) for the undertaking of detailed assessments in the affected areas, in  order to inform the development of a longer term detailed plan of action. Papua New Guinea has been experiencing a prolonged dry spell since May 2015, which is forecasted to continue for 8 to 10 months with reduced rainfall in all parts of the country. This severe drought is expected to be the worst the country  has faced in close to twenty years. At least 24 people have already been confirmed dead as a result of the extreme  weather situation in the Highlands region, and the National Disaster Centre estimates that a total of up to 2 million 

people are affected across the country. 

Background 

The European Union together with its Member States is the world's leading donor of humanitarian aid. Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity towards people in need around the world. It aims to save lives, prevent and 

alleviate human suffering, and safeguard the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by natural disasters  and man-made crises. The European Commission through its Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO)  helps over 120 million victims of conflicts and disasters every year. For more information, please visit ECHO's website.

In 2015, the European Commission has again signed a €3 million humanitarian contribution agreement with the 

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support the Federation's Disaster Relief  Emergency Fund (DREF). Funds from the DREF are mainly allocated to “small-scale” disasters – those that do not give  rise to a formal international appeal. 

DREF was established in 1985 and is supported by contributions from donors. Each time a National Red Cross or Red  Crescent Society needs immediate financial support to respond to a disaster, it can request funds from the DREF. For  small-scale disasters, the IFRC allocates grants from the Fund, which can then be replenished by the donors. The  contribution agreement between the IFRC and ECHO enables the latter to replenish the DREF for agreed operations  (that fit in with its humanitarian mandate) up to a total of €3 million.