Today, Commissioner Janez Lenarčič is announcing the release of €43 million in humanitarian aid for the whole Latin American and Caribbean region in 2023. The announcement will be made at the event ‘Disaster preparedness saves lives', co-hosted by the EU and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), during the EU-Latin America and Caribbean Forum, a key milestone ahead of the EU-CELAC Summit 2023 taking place on 17 and 18 July.

The ‘Disaster Preparedness saves lives' event brings together representatives from the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean countries, UN and civil society organisations, intergovernmental agencies and disaster management bodies, among others. The gathering provides a unique platform to enhance cooperation and showcase the evolution of the disaster preparedness and emergency response in the region, as well as the opportunity to share key achievements and lessons learnt.

The devastating impact of natural hazards in Latin America and the Caribbean requires integration of disaster risk reduction into all policies, plans and investments. Overlapping emergencies, exacerbated by the impact of climate change, are resulting in a complex humanitarian situation in the region.

Since 1994, under its disaster preparedness programme, the EU has invested over €344 million through 640 projects, reaching 30 million people, involving Governments in the region and a great diversity of organizations and partners. Disaster preparedness projects supported by the EU reinforce the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.