The EU has announced that the nearly €1.1 billion allocation 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 primary humanitarian assistance partner for Bangladesh, with multiple projects 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 its ongoing project support. The EU stated that this new record budget is necessary as global humanitarian needs are rising due to the increasing number of refugees and displaced persons from armed conflict, the growing impact of natural disasters, climate change, and economic crises. Christos Stylianides, EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, announced the budget in Brussels on Wednesday, saying that next year's budget will also be a record due to the tragically high levels of needs. The EU will continue to fulfill its duty to assist the most vulnerable and is proud to be one of the top global donors of humanitarian aid in 2016. The humanitarian budget for 2016 will address various aspects of the refugee crisis in countries like Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, the Western Balkans, and Iraq. Additionally, funding will support vulnerable populations in Colombia, Myanmar, and Afghanistan, which often go unnoticed by the international community. The European Commission has made increasing humanitarian funding for education in emergencies a priority, aiming to raise it from one percent to four percent of the EU's overall humanitarian budget in 2016, meeting the UN's target. Other priorities include helping communities prepare for and respond to natural disasters in South East Asia, as well as enhancing aid delivery methods, the EU stated.