On 5 December, the International Volunteer Day, the EU said that by the end of 2017 it would deploy 206 volunteers to 28 non-EU countries. By year’s end, over 300 volunteers will undergo training, while 141 organisations have already been certified (33 EU and 108 non-EU based organisations). Also, 44 partners are taking part in technical assistance projects, whereas 85 partner organisations are participating in capacity building projects.
In parallel, ECHO said, EU Aid Volunteers provides opportunities for citizens from the EU to volunteer in humanitarian aid projects worldwide. Volunteers are deployed in partnerships of EU-based sending organisations and hosting organisations in non-EU countries affected by disaster. There are also online volunteering opportunities.
EU Aid Volunteers also supports humanitarian aid organisations. EU Aid Volunteers projects run by partnerships of EU-based and non-EU based organisations strengthen the capacity of non-EU based organisations to prepare for and respond to humanitarian crises and improve their volunteer management. It also funds EU-based organisations to strengthen their technical capacity and meet the standards and procedures required to deploy EU Aid Volunteers. EU Aid Volunteers complements humanitarian aid actions and help strengthen the resilience of vulnerable communities in countries affected by disaster, contributing to disaster risk management activities agreed under the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. For more information visit: http://ec.europa.eu/echo/files/aid/countries/factsheets/thematic/euaidvolunteers_en.pdf
