HEKS/EPER Romania – First DG ECHO-certified partnership in Romania
HEKS/EPER Romania – First DG ECHO-certified partnership in Romania
Cluj-Napoca, Romania
12 Dec 2023
Wishing to expand and exploit its potential as a humanitarian actor, HEKS/EPER Romania Foundation has become the first NGO in our country to be accredited by the European Commission for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO). This partnership certifies that the organization, based in Cluj Napoca, is in line with EU and international standards for implementing humanitarian aid projects and is eligible to apply for and obtain funding in the 2021-2027 programming period. The European Union helps millions of victims of conflict and natural disasters annually through its DG ECHO department. ECHO is one of HEKS/EPER Romania’s leading donors, continuously supporting its interventions in major crises worldwide.
Following a rigorous evaluation process of the entity, the entire HEKS/EPER Romania team, together with the five members of the Steering Committee, received with satisfaction and joy the news of the EU certification, noting the opportunities to expand its work in helping as many vulnerable people affected by humanitarian crises as possible. Emanuel Țapu, Director of HEKS/EPER Romania, said: “Our Foundation is honoured to be part of the more than 160 EU-accredited partner organisations through which DG ECHO provides humanitarian assistance worldwide. To our expertise, started in 2016 at the level of development cooperation projects, with a focus on preventing school dropouts and facilitating access to the labour market for disadvantaged groups in Romania, we have added emergency humanitarian aid to vulnerable populations in areas difficult to access due to conflicts or natural disasters.”
“Our collaboration with DG ECHO is paramount for people in conflict-affected countries and disaster-prone areas. The support from the European Union is crucial for us as it allows us to expand our work and help vulnerable people around the world,” said Alina Ciorba, Desk Officer Humanitarian Aid. She added: “For an NGO in our country, obtaining a DG ECHO certificate for the first time is both a recognition of the efforts and quality of the work done by a dedicated team of Romanians working on social and humanitarian aid projects and the progress made towards achieving the international standards that underpin this partnership.”
HEKS/EPER Switzerland, the founder of HEKS/EPER Romania, has been making its mark in Romania since 1977 by providing humanitarian aid after the tragic earthquake. After 1989, the organisation continued its work in Romania, focusing on social aid and developing social services and rural development projects.
With the opening of the HEKS/EPER Romania office in Cluj-Napoca in 2015, the foundation’s mission to support people in need of immediate social and economic help has gained a solid base, and the organization’s projects have catalyzed a much wider range of marginalized or vulnerable groups in Romanian and international society.
Contact: Alina CIORBA, Desk Officer Humanitarian Aid
E-mail: romania@heks-eper.org
