The European Commission (EC) has pledged six million Euros from its humanitarian aid budget to step up its natural disaster preparedness efforts in South Asia, including in Nepal.

A press statement issued by the EC stated that the funds will be channeled through the Commission’s humanitarian aid department (ECHO) under the direct responsibility of Commissioner Louis Michel.

The assistance provided by ECHO action plan is aimed at improving the response capacity of the local population in one of the most natural disaster-prone regions of the world, the statement adds.

The statement quoted Louis Michel as saying, “Recent disasters in the region – the most violent being the tsunami on 26 December 2004 and the earthquake in Pakistan on 8 October 2005 – have clearly demonstrated the importance of disaster preparedness. Simple actions can save lives, speed up recovery and reduce the impact of new disasters. We are far from helpless in the face of natural disasters. Disaster preparedness is helping people help themselves.”

“Nepal, a country in the throes of a conflict ignored by the media, has come out as being in need of more substantial support. It is victim to disasters all year round and lives under constant threat of a major earthquake in the Kathmandu valley,” the statement adds.

This initiative will also cover Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, countries also frequently hit by natural disasters.