According to the latest statement the European Union is providing €60,000 (nearly 300,000 Malaysian ringgit) in humanitarian aid funding to assist the most affected communities. The aid will benefit 5,000 people in some of the hardest-hit areas in the states of Johor and Pahang.
The EU funding supports the Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) in delivering aid to the most vulnerable communities through the distribution of cash transfers. This will allow flood-stricken families to meet their immediate basic needs and loss of the income in the wake of the floods. Hygiene kits will also be provided to ensure access to clean water and good hygiene practices. In addition, necessary measures will be implemented to minimise transmission of Covid-19 during the operation.
The funding is part of the EU’s overall contribution to the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
At least six people died and close to 50,000 people were evacuated after days of torrential monsoon rains hit the eastern region of Malaysia in early January. The incessant downpours triggered what have been described as the worst floods in half a century, inundating large areas across six states. In response to the disaster, over 300 evacuation centres have been opened, the majority of which are in the worst-hit states of Johor and Pahang. The floods struck the country while it is battling with a worsening Covid-19 outbreak.
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.
Through its European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), the European Union helps over 120 million victims of conflicts and disasters every year. For more information, please visit ECHO‘s website.
The European Commission has 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.
The Disaster Relief Emergency Fund 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.
