EU crisis response to be overhauled as natural disasters increase

THE number of natural disasters across the world has increased five times over the past few decades and new ways of helping victims must be found, especially when countries are cutting back on aid.

Although the European Union is one of the world’s biggest donors of humanitarian aid, it has been criticised for its response to some emergencies, such as the Haiti earthquake in January, which killed as many as 300,000 people and left 1.3 million homeless.

“At present there is an inevitable degree of improvisation and decisions are sometimes delayed,” commissioner Kristalina Georgieva said in a speech.