Latest posts
The European Parliament as the voice of the citizens – my experience from last week
NEW
I have been at the Plenary of the European Parliament a number of times, always a learning experience. Last week was no exception. And it is worth telling my readers about it, since the Parliament discussed a report of direct relevance for my work &...
Chad’s silent children – the sad face of malnutrition
NEW
In the city of Mao in Kanem province in Chad, there is a hospital we fund where the sound of silence on the children’s ward is chilling. It’s strange to be with children who are so quiet. In the intensive care ward where they are treating...
The mothers of Niger
NEW
I met Rahi Harouna when she was making an important life decision – and getting moral support from what many may regard as a surprising source. Rahi, a 38-year-old mother of five children, was at a health centre run by the aid agency Concern...
What do snow, Skype and civil protection have in common?
NEW
When you are in Estonia – a lot! The Baltic state has great internet penetration rate and is a leader in IT and the homeland of Skype. And it uses its technological edge to improve disaster preparedness and response. Yesterday I landed in freezing,...
A big step forward
NEW
Twelve years ago an earthquake struck Izmit in Turkey, killing 17,000 people. Europe rushed to help, providing relief and assistance. But it was the experts themselves who realised a very significant and humbling fact: the lack of communication betwe...
Ending Hunger
NEW
European Development Days 2011, Warsaw: With the crisis in the Horn of Africa expected to last until the middle of next year and another emergency looming in the Sahel we need short term responses and long term solutions to make sure that an inevitab...
Video of my visit to Denmark’s Emergency Management Agency
NEW
I just visited Denmark, where I again met with the brave men and women of DEMA – the Danish Emergency Management Agency. Watch the video to see more about their work and what we spoke about. Number of views: 800...
Thoughts ahead of International Volunteer Day
NEW
I have been preparing for International Volunteer Day on December 5 by meeting very special volunteers in Bavaria and Poland. First let me tell you about Jacek Ryng, to whom I had the privilege of presenting an award in Warsaw. Mr Ryng suffers from s...
Thinking the unthinkable
NEW
I am in Berlin, and – as always when I am in Germany – I meet Albrecht Broemme, President of the German Federal Agency for Technical relief (THW). I admire his work, and enjoy our unscripted conversations. Mr Broemme was head of the B...
Sahel: in the shadow of new crisis
NEW
Last Friday we increased our assistance in Africa’s Sahel region with another 10 million EUR. You may remember my visit to the region last year, when we helped avoid a major humanitarian crisis. Now we are acting early with the hope to do the s...
France: humanitarian tradition and ambition
NEW
I have just visited France, one of the cradles of humanitarianism. When it comes to helping people in the direst need, the French have long been among the first, the most active and the most committed. Think, for instance, about Medecins Sans Frontie...
Conference on Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection in Rome
NEW
My meeting today with Gianni Letta (pictured above), Under Secretary of State to the presidency of the Council of Ministers and right-hand man of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, took place amid the high drama of a political era drawing to a close i...
Welcome to a world of seven billion people
NEW
A newborn baby’s first cry has just marked a world record – the seven billionth person living on our planet was born. Each new life is a new hope. And yet, all too many hopes get crushed by poverty and conflicts. So is reaching the seventh...
Working with Turkey to help earthquake survivors
NEW
On Sunday a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck near the city of Van in eastern Turkey. The Turkish authorities, the Red Crescent and many volunteers have faced a huge task but have rescued thousands of people. The European Commission’s emergency respo...
Bravery on duty: tribute to the Bulgarian Mountain Rescue Service
NEW
For the boy and the girl it seemed like a good day to trek in Rila, one of Bulgaria’s most beautiful mountains. The weather was nice, and they were fit for the climb up to breath-taking views. They went higher and higher on a path that grew narrowe...
The refugee camp you did not know about
NEW
Exactly three months ago, the United Nations declared famine in Somalia. Throughout the entire Horn of Africa, drought has thrown more than 13 million people into a humanitarian crisis with no quick fix in sight. My colleagues and I have already shar...
Disaster preparedness works – here is how
NEW
This year’s South Asian monsoon has once again uprooted people from their homes in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan – around 12 million are affected. The European Commission’s humanitarian aid teams have been assessing the needs in th...
A bridge between two worlds
NEW
Sadako Ogata is a remarkable woman – at the age of 84 she runs JICA, Japan’s multibillion-dollars development bank, and is as vital as ever. She was the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees until 2001, leaving behind a transforme...
The tougher the training, the better the response
NEW
Many thanks to Jerzy Miller, the Polish Minister of the Interior and Administration for hosting me today at a superbly organised and very important European Civil Protection Exercise. It’s the second time that Poland has organised an event like...
From Myanmar with hope Part II – Aung San Suu Kyi
NEW
Facing the worst often brings the best out of people, so through my work I meet outstanding individuals from all walks of life. But never before had I had a chance to meet a living legend, so I was excited to visit Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Pea...
