NEW YORK, 21 July 2009: More than halfway through 2009, United Nations agencies and their humanitarian partners face a nearly 5 billion US dollar (25 milliarder DKR) gap in funding to respond to the most severe crises.
The UNs top relief official warned Tuesday that the worlds poorest and most vulnerable people have been hardest hit by the global recession.
Of the 9,5 billion dollar appealed for to cover activities for 2009, less than half has been received to date, leaving a 4,8 billion gap, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
– It is clear that the global recession puts pressure on the aid budgets of all donor governments, but of course it puts immeasurably more pressure on crisis-stricken people in poor countries, said Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs (and OCHA-chief) John Holmes.
Only a fraction of the money committed by governments to private financial institutions in the midst of the economic turmoil is needed to ensure that those in need are “getting the best available protection and assistance on time,” he added.
Since the start of the year, the Consolidated and Flash Appeals have been revised upward by 1,5 billion dollar due to deteriorating humanitarian situations in some areas.
For example, acute food insecurity and the influx of refugees from neighbouring Somalia has driven up funding requirements for Kenya up by almost 200 million dollar, while the Israeli military operation in Gaza earlier this year has caused needs to increase there by over 300 million.
Despite the end of more than two decades of fighting between the Government and separatist Tamils in Sri Lanka, humanitarian requirements have surged by more than 100 million dollar due to the needs of the 285.000 people uprooted by violence.
The UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) – which seeks to speed up assistance to those suffering from natural and man-made disasters as well as support critically under-funded emergencies – has allocated more than 150 million dollar to 18 appeals.
Mr. Holmes, who also serves as UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tuesday announced the allocation of a further 55 million dollar for 11 protracted emergency situations in countries including the DR Congo, Zimbabwe, North Korea and Ethiopia.
Kilde: FNs Nyhedstjeneste
