On 14 October at the World Humanitarian Summit Global Consultation in Geneva, the satellite operators Eutelsat, Hispasat, Inmarsat, Intelsat, SES, Thuraya and Yahsat signed the Crisis Connectivity Charter in partnership with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC).
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that its constellation of weather satellites helped save 240 people during 2014 from potentially life-threatening situations throughout the United States and its territorial waters. The statement indicates the importance of satellite-based services as a way to further humanitarian assistance operations when a natural disaster occurs.
Valerie Amos, Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator, in an interview with the Iranian Islamic Republic News Agency IRNA underscored the importance of sharing critical information on disasters. She stated that the UN favors cooperation with Iran in sharing information on crisis management as the country ranks sixth worldwide in term of being prone to natural disasters, as IRNA reported.
The Humanitarian Aid department of the European Commission (ECHO) was established in 1992 and works in the area of emergency assistance and relief to the victims of natural disasters or armed conflict outside the European Union. ECHO concentrates its efforts on the funding of humanitarian aid.
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