UN emergency fund allocates $72 million for life-saving aid in neglected crises

The United Nations humanitarian chief today announced the allocation of some $72 million from an emergency fund to assist people in neglected crises in 12 countries around the world.

“Millions of people around the world are in dire need but we don’t always see or hear of their plight,” said the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Valerie Amos.

“This money will save lives by ensuring that humanitarian organizations can continue to support the most vulnerable men, women and children caught in the midst of devastating disasters and conflicts.”

This latest allocation brings the total amount provided by the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to an unprecedented $172 million in a single year, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a news release.

The funds will support vital humanitarian aid in Bangladesh, Chad, Colombia, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Haiti, Madagascar, Mauritania, Myanmar, Niger, Pakistan, the Philippines and Somalia.

CERF, which is managed by OCHA, is one of the world’s largest sources of humanitarian funding, and every year a third of all its funds is set aside for underfunded emergencies to help even out disparities between aid appeals. Since 2006, nearly a third of the $3 billion allocated from CERF has gone to neglected crises in more than 40 countries.

CERF is funded by voluntary contributions from Member States, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), local governments, the private sector and individual donors.