18/03/2015 (Agence Europe) - MEPs stand in solidarity with Vanuatu. On Tuesday 17 March, the European Parliament's development committee chairperson, Linda McAvan (S&D, UK), expressed, on behalf of the committee, “our sincere condolences to the victims of Cyclone Pam and their families, and our solidarity with the people of Vanuatu”. During its meeting on 31 March and 1 April, the development committee will review the EU's humanitarian efforts in response to this catastrophe. An amount of €1 million in initial emergency aid has currently been released by ECHO (the European Commission's humanitarian aid and civil protection office). Just back from the third UN conference on disaster risk reduction (Sendai, Japan, 14-18 March), Enrique Guerrera Salom (S&D, Spain), the permanent rapporteur for humanitarian aid, underlined the importance of a common framework and international cooperation to face this challenge in a world where natural catastrophes are increasing. “The tragedy in Vanuatu is a sharp reminder that preparedness and strengthening disaster resilience have to be at the forefront of our efforts”, he said. (Aminata Niang)