Millions of people in the Europe and Central Asia region have experienced a sharp fall in living standards and chronic poverty as a result of ongoing political and economic changes. A health crisis,centred on spiralling rates of TB and HIV/AIDS, is deepening.
Many people have been displaced by conflicts or have been forced to migrate in order to secure a living. Human trafficking is a growing problem. Floods are the most common disaster, while part of the region is earthquake prone. Drought is a recurring blight, especially in Central Asia. Many people are also affected by technological disasters, for example around Chernobyl and the Aral Sea.
Civil society and local communities need to be strengthened. Capacities to cope – in a changing environment – with the various crises need to be rebuilt.

Central Asian countries and Russian Federation has acceded to a number of international treaties in the field of emergency management and is becoming actively integrated in structures of the UN system, CIS, the International Civil Defence Organization, Asian Natural Disaster Reduction Centre and other international organizations, and takes part in humanitarian operations.