Written by Emma Farge
GENEVA (Reuters) – Facing a record $32 billion shortfall in humanitarian aid funding, the United Nations is deepening an emergency fund to support critical programs in 11 countries including Myanmar and Mali.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said donors provided more than ever before in 2022 for crises around the world, but needs also rose amid unprecedented flooding in Pakistan and warnings of famine in Somalia.
“We know that these are difficult times, not least after the coronavirus where budgets have shrunk and we have seen trends of global recession,” OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke told a news conference in Geneva.
“But the needs are skyrocketing. They are out of control.”
The latest withdrawal of $100 million means that the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has spent a quarter of a billion dollars from the Central Emergency Response Fund so far this year. Larke did not mention how long he was left. The fund enables the global body to respond quickly to new humanitarian crises or underfunded emergencies without having to wait for earmarked contributions.
The money will go to life-saving programs including in Myanmar and Mali which fund only 18% – and 28% -. In contrast, Ukraine is one of a few dozen countries where more than half of the programs are funded, at 66%, according to OCHA.
Noting the late arrival of funds for crises in the Horn of Africa and Pakistan, Lerke said some of the newly released funds would also be used for “proactive actions” in Niger to address the impact of the drought.
“The common concern is that resources are often mobilized only when disasters reach their peak, suffering is at its worst, and response becomes more costly,” he added.
