Following the flash floods in Armenia’s Lori and Tavush regions in May, the European Union is providing €100 000 in humanitarian funding to assist the most affected villages.
This EU funding supports the Armenian Red Cross in delivering much needed relief assistance, including cash assistance and essential supplies.
This humanitarian aid aims to directly benefit 5060 individuals in total, including 2,500 individuals who will receive cash assistance for their most immediate needs and 2,760 individuals who will receive support with gaining access to shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene. The assistance is targeting families whose homes, crop fields, livestock or food supplies were destroyed during the floods.
The funding is part of the EU’s overall contribution to the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
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On May 26, 2024, heavy thundery rain showers across Armenia led to significant rainfall, with up to 100 mm recorded locally. This caused the sudden overflowing of the Debed, Aghstev, and Tashir rivers, exacerbating the flood impact in the Lori and Tavush regions.
Background
The European Union and its Member States are the world’s leading donor of humanitarian aid. Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity with people in need all 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.
Through its Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations department, the European Union helps millions of victims of conflict and disasters every year. With headquarters in Brussels and a global network of field offices, the European Union provides assistance to the most vulnerable people on the basis of humanitarian needs.
The European Union is signatory to a €8 million humanitarian delegation agreement with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support the Federation’s Disaster Response 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.
The Disaster Response Emergency Fund was established in 1979 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 delegation agreement between the IFRC and ECHO enables the latter to replenish the DREF for agreed operations (that fit within its humanitarian mandate) up to a total of €8 million.
