Brussels, 18/03/2008 (Agence Europe) - True to commitments on disaster risk reduction (DRR) in line with the United Nations Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015, the European Commission decided, on Tuesday 18 March, to allocate €27.2235 million from the humanitarian aid budget to improve the capacities of vulnerable communities at risk in Central America, Central Asia and South East Asia. The aim is to help prepare against natural disasters. Three “DIPECHO” decisions (Disaster Preparedness ECHO) have been adopted for each of these regions. €10 million will go to Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama), €10 million to South East Asia (Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, the Philippines, Timor Leste and Vietnam), and €7.325 million will go to Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan). Although the funds are intended above all to pursue and strengthen disaster preparedness in order to save lives, they will also finance better exchange of information and best practices, and support national strategies for disaster preparedness. The funds will be channelled through the intermediary of ECHO, the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Office. (O.L.)