The European Union signed this Thursday, in Jakarta, an agreement to strengthen cooperation in disasters with the humanitarian agency of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other countries in the region.
“Today’s world is full of challenges, including the growing impact of climate change”said European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic at the signing ceremony, citing “stronger than ever typhoons, floods and avalanches, and fires that are spreading and becoming more intense.”
The agreement includes the exchange of knowledge and good practices between ASEAN and the EU, the deployment and exchange of experts and the development of training programmes, declared the European Commission on 15 October, after announcing a new humanitarian aid package of €21.5 million for the ASEAN region. Asia-Pacific.
Total EU support will amount to almost €95 million by 2024, especially for projects in four countries and for people affected by Typhoon Yagi, the strongest to hit Asia this year.
Hundreds of people died and millions were affected by the effects of Yagi on the Asian continent last September, with the highest number of victims in Vietnam and Myanmar, while Laos, Thailand, the Philippines and China, including Macau, were also affected, although on a smaller scale.
Brussels also announced that is being New EU humanitarian airlift created to transport essential goods to Yagi victimsand a flight is expected to arrive in Laos in the coming days.
The disaster management agreement was signed by the Directorate General of European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations and the ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance Coordination Centre.
In 2023, Asia remained the region in the world most affected by climate-related disasters, the vast majority of which were related to floods and storms, which caused around two thousand deaths and nine million people were directly affected, it said. the Meteorological Organization. Second World War (WMO) of the UN.
Last April, the organization warned of the growing danger posed to Asia by the increase in the frequency and temperature of extreme heat waves, associated with the climate crisis.
Source: Observadora
