Humanitarian Aid: New Measures for Better Support of Persons with Disabilities in Crises

The Commission announced new measures to better adapt EU humanitarian aid to persons with disabilities facing crisis situations. From now on, EU-funded projects will address the needs of persons with disabilities in a more structured way. Specifically, the Commission, in collaboration with groups working with persons with disabilities and humanitarian organizations, will develop standards that must be adhered to in all EU humanitarian projects. For the first time, the Commission’s humanitarian funding will require humanitarian partners to include persons with disabilities in their projects. Regarding organizations representing persons with disabilities, their opinion will also be regularly sought when designing Commission policies, and persons with disabilities will have greater participation in field operations.
Over the past two years, 30 million euros have been allocated to projects undertaken by specialized organizations for persons with disabilities, increasing funding by 40% since the start of Commissioner Stylianides’ term in 2014 (Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management). The EU approved the Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action, which was launched at the World Humanitarian Summit in May 2016. The EU has also ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which provides for the protection and safety of persons with disabilities in situations of risk, including situations of armed conflict, humanitarian emergencies, and natural disasters.