2015 Humanitarian Assistance Operational Strategy of the Czech Republic

 

Providing of humanitarian assistance financed from the Czech Government Budget is based on the Law on Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid, which entered into force on July 1, 2010.[1] According to this law, the humanitarian aid (HA) is defined as a set of activities financed from the national budget in order to prevent loss of life and injury, to alleviate suffering and to restore basic living conditions of people after an emergency, as well as to mitigate long-lasting consequences of emergencies and to prevent their occurrence and negative consequences.

The provision of humanitarian aid is governed by fundamental international humanitarian principles of humanity (the main goal is saving lives), impartiality (HA is provided strictly on the basis of needs), neutrality (the humanitarian actors do not favour any part of a given conflict) and independence (the aid is provided regardless of political, economic, military or other aims of the donor and/or beneficiary). The Czech Republic endorsed these principles in 2006, having joined the Good Humanitarian Donorship (GHD) platform.[2]

In 2015, CZK 73 million will be available for humanitarian assistance in the basic budget[3]. The Czech Republic will attempt to support both countries with protracted (complex) crises and countries affected by ad hoc emergencies. Follow-up aid will be offered to countries affected by disasters in 2014, where needed. If the budget allows it, the Czech Republic will contribute to the DRR and resilience activities. The food assistance needs will be met from the humanitarian budget as well.

The Czech Republic will again support humanitarian projects of Czech and foreign NGOs, where appropriate. An adequate share of the humanitarian budget will be disbursed through the UN humanitarian agencies, funds and programmes as well as through ICRC/IFRC and national RC societies, according to the comparative advantages of the particular implementing partners with a view to a maximal impact for the affected populations.

During Quarter I of the year, the Czech Republic will pay attention to the humanitarian need in conflict-affected coutries and regions (Syria + Jordan and Lebanon; Iraq; South Sudan; Central African Republic; Ukraine). Further assistance will be approved for the ebola affected countries in West Africa.

In Quarter II, follow-up of the 2014 humanitarian response will be the main priority (in particular in the LRRD framework for the Czech development priority countries Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Palestine; further for DRC, Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, and Zimbabwe), besides the continued response to sudden onset emergencies. 

The humanitarian needs in Syria, Iraq, South Sudan and CAR will be followed closely through the whole year.

A Mid-term review of the Strategy will be completed in July-August 2015.

 

In quarter III and IV, the cooperation with UN humanitarian funds and agencies will be a top priority (in particular CERF, OCHA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNRWA, WFP). The food assistance will be provided, if needed – a preliminary indication of the WFP shows critical needs in CAR, Sahel, Yemen and the ebola-affected countries. The last contribution from the humanitarian budget for 2015, if available, will focus on DRR and resilience programmes.

             

Preliminary distribution of the Czech humanitarian budget 2015:

Period	Indicative Amount (CZK)	Countries/Activities	Implementing Partners
Q I - IV	12.000.000	Ad hoc needs and emergencies	UN, ICRC/IFRC, IOM, NGOs
Q I	8.000.000 10.000.000   10.000.000 10.000.000	Call for Proposals: Ukraine Protracted emergencies (Ethiopia, Sahel, South Sudan; Myanmar) Syria + region Iraq + region	Czech registered NGOs
Q II	6.000.000	Follow-up HumAid 2014 (Syria, Iraq, CAR, South Sudan; ebola; Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Palestine, Somalia, Yemen)	UN, ICRC, IOM, NGOs
Q III - IV*	17.000.000	CAP, food assistance, DRR/resilience	CERF, OCHA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNRWA, WFP
Total	73.000.000

* Based on the mid-term review of the humanitarian situation and available means.

 

 

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[1] 151/2010 Act on Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid and Amending Related Laws

[2] PRINCIPLES AND GOOD PRACTICE OF HUMANITARIAN DONORSHIP, endorsed in Stockholm, 17 June 2003, by 16 donor countries and the EC. Several other donors, incl. the Czech Republic (2006), have joined since than (41 in January 2013); the EU joined collectively in 2007 through the endorsement of the EU Consensus on humanitarian aid.

[3] According to the Government decision No. 480 from June 25, 2013 (2014 Development Cooperation Plan and Preliminary Financial Outlook until 2016)