Increase the humanitarian aid budget line: our advocacy at EU level continues

In August, the number of people expected to need humanitarian aid this year increased to 306.8 million, 32 million more than in December 2021.

The work of VOICE at EU level is more critical than ever to ensure quality humanitarian aid reaches the increasing number of people in need worldwide. The network continues to advocate for an increase of the humanitarian budget line to address the record level of needs. 

Where are we at?

On 7 June 2022, the European Commission submitted the Draft Budget 2023, proposing €1.6 billion for the humanitarian aid budget line in commitments. The Council of the EU published its position on the general budget 2023 on 19 July 2022, without proposing any changes to the humanitarian budget line. Fortunately, thanks to the sustained advocacy efforts VOICE conducted together with our NGO members, the Committees on Development and Foreign Affairs are asking for an increase of respectively €900 and €800 million euros – which would bring the humanitarian budget to €2.3 or €2.4 billion. The file is now in the hands of the EP’s Committee on Budget, who will vote on all EP amendments on 3 October, ahead of the final EP vote in the plenary session of 17 to 20 October.

VOICE Messages on the EU Budget 2023 procedure:

1. Increase the humanitarian aid budget line to € 2.5 billion to meaningfully address the unprecedented level of humanitarian needs worldwide, aggravated by the 2022 Ukraine conflict and its global economic repercussions, notably in terms of food insecurity worldwide.
2. Ensure funds from the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve (SEAR) are additional to the current humanitarian aid budget line and can be mobilised for humanitarian crises outside the EU throughout the whole financial year.
3. Ensure predictability and continued commitment to people in need by guaranteeing that payment appropriations are at least at the same level as commitment appropriations.