The United Nations on Friday released US$100 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to address critically underfunded emergencies in ten countries in Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East. More than a third of the funds will go to relief operations in Yemen and Ethiopia, with the remainder targeting the crises in Myanmar, Mali, Burkina Faso, Haiti, Cameroon, Mozambique, Burundi and Malawi.
Friday's announcement comes at a time when humanitarian needs around the world are skyrocketing and the global funding outlook remains bleak.
The Central Emergency Response Fund is a global humanitarian fund and one of the fastest ways to deliver humanitarian assistance to the world's most vulnerable people in times of crisis.
This is CERF's second allocation for underfunded emergencies this year, following the release of $100 million for seven countries in February. However, the total $200 million released this year for underfunded humanitarian crises is the lowest amount in the last three years, underscoring the growing gap between humanitarian needs and the donor funding CERF receives to meet them.
CERF has an annual funding target of $1 billion, which unfortunately has never been reached. To date, the Fund has received only $389.8 million this year. Germany, for example, the world's second-largest humanitarian donor for years, has not pledged a single dollar in 2024.
“In far too many humanitarian emergencies, a lack of funding prevents aid agencies from reaching people who need life-saving assistance, and that is heart-wrenching,” said Joyce Msuya, Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, in a statement.
“CERF funding is an emergency cash injection of last resort to avert the worst and save lives when other humanitarian funding is inadequate. We urgently need increased and sustained donor attention to these underfunded crises.”
More than a third of this new funding from CERF will support relief efforts in Yemen ($20 million) and Ethiopia ($15 million), where people are struggling with the cumulative effects of hunger, conflict, displacement, disease and climate disasters.
CERF is managed by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and administered by the Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC) on behalf of the UN Secretary-General.
The new funding package will also support humanitarian operations in countries affected by years of conflict, insecurity and displacement. These include Myanmar ($12 million), Mali ($11 million), Burkina Faso ($10 million), Haiti ($9 million), Cameroon ($7 million) and Mozambique ($7 million). Also included are efforts to respond to El Niño and climate-related droughts and floods in countries such as Burundi ($5 million) and Malawi ($4 million).
In recognition of climate change as a key driver of humanitarian needs, part of this allocation will support climate-smart humanitarian action through CERF's new Climate Action Account, according to OCHA.
In 2024, the humanitarian community is seeking approximately $49 billion to reach 187 million of the world's most vulnerable people in the midst of crises. To date, only 29 percent of this funding has been received, leaving a gap of $35 billion.
CERF's funds for underfunded emergencies are used to scale up and sustain protracted relief operations to avoid critical gaps where no other resources are available, while CERF's rapid response funds help UN agencies and their partners respond quickly to emerging humanitarian needs.
The Central Emergency Response Fund is primarily funded by UN Member States. However, CERF also accepts donations from corporations, foundations and individuals. The Fund enables timely, effective and life-saving humanitarian action by UN agencies and others to start or scale up emergency operations wherever they are needed.
Since its creation by the UN General Assembly in 2005, CERF has provided $9.3 billion to help hundreds of millions of people in more than 110 countries and territories. This includes $3.2 billion for underfunded crises, including this latest allocation.
Since 2023, CERF has also been the leading global humanitarian funding instrument for responding to climate-related humanitarian emergencies.
To strengthen this role, CERF launched its Climate Action Account at COP28, providing a pathway for climate-related humanitarian financing. It aims to support the world's most vulnerable communities facing the impacts of the climate crisis, including through early action and life-saving projects that also build people's adaptation and resilience.
CERF is designed to complement, not replace, existing humanitarian funding mechanisms. Funding decisions for underfunded emergencies are based on detailed analysis of more than 90 humanitarian indicators and extensive stakeholder consultation.
CERF allocates funding for underfunded emergencies twice a year. The previous $100 million, released in February, supported humanitarian efforts in Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Honduras, Lebanon, Niger, Sudan, and Syria.
Further information
Full text: UN releases US$100 million to ramp up responses to 10 underfunded humanitarian crises, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, press release, published August 30, 2024
https://www.unocha.org/news/un-releases-us100-million-ramp-responses-10-underfunded-humanitarian-crises
Website: United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF)
https://cerf.un.org/
Donate to CERF now
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https://crisisrelief.un.org/t/cerf