UN humanitarian agencies call for increased support

Ross Mountain, Assistant Emergency Relief Coordinator and Director of OCHA Geneva, today chaired on behalf of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) a meeting with member states and agencies to review progress and outstanding priorities at the mid-point of the yearly cycle of the Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP).
"Today, we have an estimated shortfall of US$ 2.2 billion to implement programmes designed to meet priority needs identified by the UN and its participating partners in the CAP in 19 complex emergencies" stated Ross Mountain during a meeting between representatives of donor governments and members of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee in Geneva.

Last November, the United Nations and its partners launched appeals for 19 humanitarian crises, calling on the international community to support programmes aimed at saving and sustaining the lives of some 33 million people, many of whom are suffering from on-going conflicts. With the release in January 2002 of the Immediate and Transitional Assistance Programme for the Afghan People (ITAP) US$ 3.7 billion is now requested for 2002.

Six months later, the "CAP Mid-Year Review Status Report" reveals that progress made in reaching the world's most vulnerable with critical humanitarian assistance and providing protection of their rights has been mixed. Success has been largely contingent upon the operating environment and the availability of the necessary financial resources.

Progress towards peace has created opportunities for increased humanitarian assistance in countries like Angola, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Sierra Leone, permitting humanitarian programmes to reach vulnerable populations. Protracted conflicts in Burundi, Somalia and Liberia, however, will require renewed diplomatic efforts of the international humanitarian community, complemented by humanitarian aid, to assist those most in need.

Security remains another crucial factor in determining progress. In a conflict situation, it is critical for humanitarian workers to negotiate safe access to identify populations in need. Where security measures have been put in place, basic access has been expanded. Security conditions have improved in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone and Tajikistan, while insecurity significantly impedes operations in Burundi, Northern Caucasus, and Somalia.

Timely, flexible and unearmarked contributions must be provided early in the calendar year to enable agencies to implement strategies designed to meet identified priorities, and to plan based upon need rather than available resources. At mid-year, the response to the appeals stands at 38.5%. However, the understandingly high response to the Afghanistan crisis skews these figures. Excluding Afghanistan, response to the remaining 18 Appeals is 29%. As in past years, high-profile crises continue to draw the majority of resources, often to the detriment of "forgotten" emergencies. In addition, the current review indicates a clear donor preference towards funding the food sector with less support for other sectors such as agriculture, health and education.

The Consolidated Appeals Process is a key coordination tool for humanitarian assistance, and the only mechanism that brings together IASC members, host governments, non-governmental organisations and, increasingly, donors for shared analysis, and to discuss and set common directions and principles for humanitarian assistance in a country.

The CAP reflects the will of Member States, who pledged in the Millennium Declaration to spare no effort to ensure that assistance goes to populations who suffer from natural disasters, genocide, armed conflict and other humanitarian emergencies, so that they can resume normal life as soon as possible.

The Consolidated Appeals cover the following countries and regions: Afghanistan, Angola, Burundi, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Great Lakes Region and Central Africa, Indonesia, North Caucasus (Russian Federation), Somalia, Southeastern Europe, Sudan, Tajikistan, Uganda and West Africa (including Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone).

Review of the 2002 United Nations Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeals