The European Union intends to send humanitarian workers to disaster zones, announced the European Commission on Wednesday. The plan is to create a European volunteer organization similar to the U.S. Peace Corps program so famous in the 1960s.
As a major worldwide aid donor The European Union continually helps in reconstruction projects in the world’s most disaster-struck areas, but has long felt that it does not do enough “on the ground”. Now that is due to change with the European Voluntary Corps, which from 2014 will send young Europeans abroad to do humanitarian work.
Kristalina Georgieva, the EU’s top official for humanitarian aid, told a news conference.
“There is a need to train and deploy volunteers to reinforce existing humanitarian aid organizations… The presence of workers gives hope.’
Georgieva, is the commissioner for international cooperation, humanitarian aid and crisis response, added that the initiative will have a budget of 239 million between 2014 and 2020.
