The EU has announced that they will be allocating nearly €1.1 billion, which is the largest EU humanitarian budget for life-saving relief in both man-made and natural disasters to date. The 28-nation bloc is currently the main humanitarian assistance partner for Bangladesh, with multiple projects currently underway in different regions of the country. In August of this year, the EU provided €0.5 million in aid to help the flood-affected people of Bangladesh, in addition to their ongoing project support. The EU stated that this new budget record is necessary as global humanitarian needs are on the rise, with an increasing number of refugees and displaced persons due to armed conflict, natural disasters, climate change, and economic crises. EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides, announced the budget in Brussels on Wednesday, stating that next year's budget will also be a record high due to the tragically high levels of needs. In 2016, the EU will continue to be a leading global donor of humanitarian assistance and will focus on addressing the needs of the most vulnerable. The humanitarian budget for 2016 will address the refugee crisis in various countries such as Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, the Western Balkans, and Iraq. Additionally, funding will also support vulnerable and displaced people in Colombia, Myanmar, and Afghanistan. A particular focus for the European Commission in 2016 will be increasing humanitarian funding for education in emergencies from one percent to four percent of the overall budget, in line with the UN target. Other priorities include helping communities prepare for natural disasters and improving aid delivery in South East Asia.