Part of the European Union system, ECHO is the short name for the European Commission's Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection. The short name is derived from European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations. Established in 1992, ECHO is one of the world's largest players in the field of humanitarian assistance. Its responsibilities include both humanitarian aid and civil protection. In the case of humanitarian aid, ECHO shares competence with European Union member states. Together, they are alongside the United States of America the leading global humanitarian donor.
With an annual humanitarian budget of around €1.7 billion, the Directorate-General helps millions of people across the globe each year. Humanitarian aid is provided to victims of crises and disasters according to the needs of the affected populations by funding humanitarian projects implemented by non-governmental organizations, United Nations agencies and Red Cross societies. ECHO's headquarters are located in Brussels, Belgium.