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XXX Final COMMISSION DECISION of […] on The COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES Brussels, C(2008) XXX final COMMISSION DECISION of […] on the financing of humanitarian actions from the general budget of the European Communities in BURMA/MYANMAR (ECHO/MMR/BUD/2008/03000) EN EN COMMISSION DECISION of […] on the financing of humanitarian actions from the general budget of the European Communities in BURMA/MYANMAR (ECHO/MMR/BUD/2008/03000) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No. 1257/96 of 120 June 1996 concerning Humanitarian aid1, and in particular Articles 2, 4 and 15(2) thereof, Whereas: (1) On 2-3 May 2008, Cyclone Nargis struck Burma/Myanmar, sweeping through the Ayeyarwady delta region and the country's main city, Yangon. An estimated 2.4 million people living in the Ayeyarwady and Yangon division have been affected and many have lost their livelihoods. At least 140,000 people have been killed or remain missing2. Five months after the disaster, many serious humanitarian needs remain, with pockets of acute need. (2) DG ECHO funding for the initial emergency phase amounts to EUR 17 million3 targeting 1.4 million beneficiaries. Activities financed in the immediate relief phase will come to an end by November 2008. (3) After the findings of the Post-Nargis Joint Assessment (PONJA), the UN revised its' Flash Appeal on 10 July 2008. The appeal covers food, logistics, water, sanitation, health, shelter, education and other sectors linked to early recovery. As of 6 October 2008 the Appeal has only been 52% funded. (4) DG ECHO's4 field visits to the affected area confirm that there are significant needs in water and sanitation, food, nutrition, health, shelter and early recovery. (5) An assessment of the humanitarian situation leads to the conclusion that humanitarian aid operations in Burma/Myanmar should be further financed by the Community for a period of 18 months. (6) There is a need to increase the preparedness of the affected populations with regard to risks of natural disasters (like cyclone and floods) and to increase the knowledge on preparedness measures to be taken during the rehabilitation and early recovery. 1 OJ L 163, 2.7.1996, p. 1. 2 Myanmar Cyclone Nargis-OCHA Situationa report no. 48, 12 September 2008 3 EUR 2 million Primary Emergency Decision, EUR 10 million Emergency Decision, EUR 5 million under Food Aid Decision. 4 Directorate-General for humanitarian aid - ECHO EN 2 EN (7) To reach populations in need, aid should be channelled through Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), or International Organisations including United Nations (UN) agencies. Therefore the European Commission should implement the budget by direct centralized management or by joint management. (8) It is estimated that a total amount of EUR 22,000,000 (EUR 17,000,000 from budget article 23.02.01 and EUR 5,000,000 from budget article 23.02.02) of the general budget of the European Communities is necessary to provide humanitarian assistance to over 1,000,000 people in Burma/Myanmar, taking into account the available budget, other donors' contributions and other factors. Therefore, the activities covered by this Decision may be financed in full in accordance with Article 253 of the Implementing Rules of the Financial Regulation. (9) The present Decision constitutes a financing Decision in the sense of Article 75 of the Financial Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/20025, Article 90 of the detailed rules for the implementation of the Financial Regulation determined by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2342/20026, and Article 15 of the Internal Rules on the Implementation of the general budget of the European Communities7. (10) In accordance with Article 17 (3) of Council Regulation (EC) No. 1257/96 of 20 June 1996 concerning humanitarian aid, the Humanitarian Aid Committee gave a favourable opinion on 19 November 2008. HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: Article 1 1. In accordance with the objectives and general principles of humanitarian aid, the Commission hereby approves an amount of EUR 22,000,000 for humanitarian aid Actions to the victims of cyclone Nargis in Burma/Myanmar from budget lines 23 02 01 (EUR 17,000,000) and 23.02.02 (EUR 5,000,000) of the 2008 general budget of the European Commission. 2. In accordance with Articles 2 and 4 of Council Regulation No. 1257/96, the humanitarian actions shall be implemented in the pursuance of the following specific objectives: – To provide early recovery and livelihood support to the victims of cyclone Nargis. An amount of EUR 17,000,000 from budget line 23.02.01 is allocated to this specific objective. – To deliver appropriate and adequate food aid and short-term food-security support to the victims of cyclone Nargis. An amount of EUR 5,000,000 from budget line 23.02.02 is allocated to this specific objective. 5 OJ L248, 16.9.2002, p.1. 6 OJ L 357, 31.12.2002, p.1 7 Commission Decision of 5.3.2008, C/2008/773 EN 3 EN Article 2 1. The duration of the implementation of this Decision shall be for a period of 18 months, starting on 1 December 2008. 2. Expenditure under this Decision shall be eligible from 1 December 2008. 3. If the actions envisaged in this Decision are suspended owing to force majeure or comparable circumstances, the period of suspension will not be taken into account for the calculation of the duration of the implementation of this Decision. Article 3 1. The Commission shall implement the budget by direct centralized management or by joint management with international organisations. 2. Actions supported by this Decision will be implemented either by: Non-profit-making organisations which fulfil the eligibility and suitability criteria established in Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No. 1257/96; or International organisations. 3. Taking account of the specificities of humanitarian aid, the nature of the activities to be undertaken, the specific location constraints and the level of urgency, the activities covered by this Decision may be financed in full in accordance with Article 253 of the Implementing Rules of the Financial Regulation. Article 4 This Decision shall take effect on the date of its adoption. Done at Brussels, […] For the Commission […] Member of the Commission EN 4 EN EUROPEAN COMMISSION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR HUMANITARIAN AID - ECHO Humanitarian Aid Decision 23 02 01 23 02 02 Title: Humanitarian aid to the victims of Cyclone Nargis in Burma/Myanmar Location of action: Myanmar Amount of Decision: EUR 22,000,000 Decision reference number: ECHO/MMR/BUD/2008/03000 Supporting document 1 - Rationale, needs and target population. 1.1. - Rationale: On 2-3 May 2008, cyclone Nargis (a category 4 cyclone) struck Burma/Myanmar, sweeping through the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) delta region and the country's main city, Yangon, then spreading inland in an east-north-east direction. Damage was most severe in the delta region. The strong winds compounded by a high tidal surge flattened many villages and several townships were 95% destroyed. An estimated 2.4 million people living in the Ayeyarwady and Yangon division have been affected and many have lost their livelihoods (fishing, rice production etc.). Almost 140,000 people have been killed or remain missing1. The Ayeyarwady delta is a heavily populated area of 7.35 million people – the most populous of Myanmar's states and divisions, with an average population density of 466 persons per square mile. It is the main rice producing area of the country. The Post Nargis Joint Assessment (PONJA) conducted in July 2008, revealed overall losses and damages estimated to USD 4 billion, with an indicative USD 1 billion needed for the first 3 year period. Taking into account these findings of the PONJA, the UN revised its' Flash Appeal2 on 10 July 2008, increasing it from USD 187 million to USD 481.8 million. The appeal covers food, logistics, water, sanitation, health, shelter, education, protection and other sectors linked to early recovery. However, as of 6 October, funding of the Appeal has only reached 52%, which clearly indicates that fund raising levels have reached a plateau. Consequently, the funding for the recovery phase appears to be facing serious challenges, with little donor commitment to date. 1 Myanmar Cyclone Nargis -OCHA Situation report no.48, 12 September 2008 2 Myanmar Tropical Cyclone Nargis Revised Appeal, 10 July 2008 1 Five months after the disaster, uncovered humanitarian needs remain, with pockets of acute need. Humanitarian assistance should therefore be continued at least throughout 2009, effectively linking up with more long-term development solutions for the area (such as the support planned by the EC under the Food Security and Livelihoods Programme). DG ECHO funding for the initial emergency phase amounts to EUR17 million, targeting 1.4 million beneficiaries in 7 sectors (shelter, food, water, sanitation, health, nutrition, protection and logistics). Activities financed in the immediate relief phase will come to an end by November 2008. 1.2. - Identified needs: Although many of the essential relief needs were addressed during the emergency response phase (May-September 2008), due to the size and severity of the disaster, there are still areas which have received little, if any assistance at all. As far as livelihood is concerned, the delta population is mainly farmers, fishermen and casual labourers. The cyclone passage has destroyed or severely disrupted these main activities throughout the affected area. A return to a pre-Nargis situation will take significant time and will require direct support to the communities. a) Shelter/Housing: It is estimated that Nargis affected approximately 800,000 housing units (lighter traditional ones and modern ones): around 450,000 houses are estimated to have been totally destroyed and around 350,000 more lightly damaged3.
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