THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/96 of 20 June 1996 concerning humanitarian aid1 , and in particular Article 2, Article 4 and Article 15(2) and (3) thereof,
Having regard to Council Decision 2013/755/EU of 25 November 2013 on the association of the overseas countries and territories with the European Union ('Overseas Association Decision')2 , and in particular Article 79 thereof,
Having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union3 , and in particular Article 84(2) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Commission Decision C(2017) 88634 provides for the financing of humanitarian aid operational priorities from the 2018 general budget of the European Union for a total amount of EUR 842 200 000 from budget articles 23 02 01 and 23 02 02.
(2) The Commission is committed to providing a humanitarian response in those areas where humanitarian needs are greatest. Accordingly, when required by changing circumstances in the field which might affect existing humanitarian needs or generate new needs, the humanitarian response may be subject to reorientation or scaling-up in the course of implementation of actions. Union financial assistance may also have to be awarded to new actions to satisfy exacerbated or increased humanitarian needs.
(3) The global humanitarian context has been characterised by an increase in humanitarian needs in locations such as Burkina Faso and Mauritania, the two countries are facing a new food and nutrition crisis in 2018, linked to an early agro-pastoral lean season and affecting particularly the Southern regions, Haiti experiencing a severe food crisis,
Libya where further increase of violence over the past months caused new forced displacement, Ukraine where fighting continues around the hotspots along the contact line, Yemen where the increasing scale of the needs, their wide geographical spread, the progressive collapse of basic services and institutions and the extreme access restrictions are exerting an enormous pressure on the already over-stretched and underfunded humanitarian community, Bangladesh where there is a need to scale up the urgent preparedness actions, Somalia where humanitarian needs remain significant due to the continued severe drought and armed conflict. Furthermore, following the two strong earthquakes which struck Mexico on 7 and 19 September 2017 needs in livelihood rehabilitation and community infrastructures, notably schools, remain outstanding.
(4) Pursuant to the contribution agreement concluded with the Department for International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom Government, as amended in accordance with Decision C(2017) 82925 , the latter provides a total contribution of approximately EUR 228 771 620 to the European Union over the years 2014 to 2019 in support of humanitarian aid actions in the Sahel, from which an amount of EUR 36 000 000 is to be used in 2018.
(5) With the establishment of a Facility for Refugees in Turkey6 , the assistance aiming, inter alia, at addressing the humanitarian needs of refugees present in Turkey should be coordinated with the Member States which contributed EUR 634 038 000 to the Union's budget as external assigned revenue in 2017. Insofar as the financing coordinated through the Facility for Refugees in Turkey concerns humanitarian assistance, it is to be implemented in line with Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/96 and according to the principles laid down in the European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid7 .
(6) According to the latest figures, over the last 6 years more than 3.5 million Syrians have been registered by the authorities in Turkey and granted Temporary Protection (TP). In addition, there are over 350 000 people registered under international, subsidiary protection or asylum seekers status. This makes Turkey the country hosting the highest number of refugees in the world. An initial allocation of EUR 23 000 000 from budget article 23 02 01 is therefore to be assigned to address the related humanitarian needs.
(7) Budgetary allocations within the specific objectives should be revised in light of the evolving circumstances and the related humanitarian needs, without prejudice to the flexibility for non-substantial changes to be adopted by the authorising officer by delegation.
(8) Non-substantial changes under this Decision are to be calculated by reference to the maximum contribution, excluding the contributions received from other donors pursuant to Article 21(2)(b) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012.
(9) To date, the Commission's authorising officer by delegation adopted non-substantial changes consisting of the reallocation of resources between specific objectives and made increases to this Decision for an amount equivalent to EUR 161 600 000.
(10) This Decision complies with the conditions laid down in Article 94 of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1268/20128 .
(11) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Humanitarian A