The United Nations (UN) has allocated $110 million (£102 million) from its emergency relief fund (CERF) to address a significant decline in global humanitarian aid, particularly due to reduced contributions from the United States.
These emergency funds are intended to bolster essential assistance in ten of the world’s most underfunded and neglected crises in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
A third of the total amount will be directed to Sudan, which is currently experiencing the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, and to neighbouring Chad, which hosts numerous refugees fleeing the conflict in Sudan.
"For countries grappling with conflict, climate change, and economic turmoil, severe budget cuts do not eliminate humanitarian needs," stated Tom Fletcher, the UN’s Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.
The funds allocated on Thursday will also enhance humanitarian response in Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Honduras, Mauritania, Niger, Somalia, Venezuela, and Zambia, according to the statement, without detailing the distribution.
The money will also be used to protect populations most vulnerable to climate shocks.
In 2025, more than 300 million people will rely on humanitarian aid, but funding is decreasing annually and is expected to reach a historic low this year.
Generally, major UN humanitarian agencies and NGOs have seen their budgets drastically reduced.
The crisis has been exacerbated by the United States’ decision to freeze nearly all foreign aid and then eliminate a substantial portion, significantly impacting many humanitarian organisations globally.
The UN estimates that $45 billion is needed to assist 185 million of the most vulnerable people worldwide.
To date, only 5% of this funding has been received, leaving a gap of over $42 billion, the statement emphasised, as the first quarter of the year is about to end.
