European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department office opens in Almaty

"Increasing the resilience and reducing the vulnerabilities of communities where we work is a key goal for us. Countries in this region are highly vulnerable to natural disasters, which can undermine national economies and development plans. By adopting strategies to increase resilience and to strengthen disaster management plans and early warning systems, we are helping communities to be better prepared when disasters strike. Preparedness is key to save lives and enable recovery to happen more quickly", said Director General for the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department (ECHO), Mr Claus Sorensen. ECHO has identified Almaty as the optimal hub for a leading actor in the field of humanitarian and disaster risk reduction. The Almaty office has a regional mandate, covering 8 countries in Central Asia and the Southern Caucasus and will mostly focus on disaster preparedness (DIPECHO) projects. The new office was opened in an official ceremony on Wednesday by Deputy Head of Unit for ECHO, Mr Martin Taschner, together with the high-level representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Representatives from the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Kazakh Ministry of Internal Affairs as well as the UN, non-governmental organisations, Red Cross and Red Crescent field offices attended the opening ceremony. The event also included an exhibition showcasing disaster risk reduction projects funded by the European Commission in Central Asia and the Southern Caucasus, the EEAS press service said.