UN Allocates $100 Million to Address Underfunded Humanitarian Crises Across 10 Countries
The United Nations has released $100 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to bolster aid operations in 10 underfunded emergencies across Africa, the Americas, Asia, and the Middle East.
This allocation, managed by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), targets regions where crises have been exacerbated by conflict, displacement, climate disasters, and economic hardship.
Joyce Msuya, Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, emphasized the urgency of this funding. “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,” she said.
Msuya highlighted CERF’s role as an emergency cash injection of last resort to avert the worst outcomes when other funding is insufficient.
The allocation includes $20 million for Yemen and $15 million for Ethiopia, where communities face severe challenges from hunger, displacement, and disease.
Additional funding will support ongoing crises in Myanmar ($12 million), Mali ($11 million), Burkina Faso ($10 million), Haiti ($9 million), Cameroon ($7 million), and Mozambique ($7 million). Nations affected by El Niño-induced droughts and floods, such as Burundi ($5 million) and Malawi ($4 million), will also receive critical support.
This is CERF’s second funding allocation for underfunded emergencies in 2024, following a similar $100 million release in February. However, the combined $200 million allocated this year marks the lowest total in three years, underscoring a growing shortfall in humanitarian funding.
As the global humanitarian community seeks $49 billion to aid 187 million people in crisis, only 29% of the required funds have been secured, leaving a significant $35 billion gap. Msuya called for increased and sustained donor attention to address this shortfall and support those in dire need.
Since its inception in 2005, CERF has provided $9.3 billion in assistance to more than 110 countries and territories, with $3.2 billion directed toward underfunded crises. As climate change continues to drive humanitarian needs, CERF’s Climate Action Account, launched at COP28, aims to support vulnerable communities through anticipatory action and resilience-building projects.
