UN allocates additional $43 million for under-funded emergencies from global emergency fund

(New York: 18 August 2006): The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has made a second round of allocations totalling $43 million for chronically underfunded emergencies from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).
Six emergencies whose funding status is in the bottom one third of all consolidated appeals will receive a cumulative $33 million in CERF funding: Côte d'Ivoire -- $3 million; Democratic Republic of the Congo -- $21 million; Republic of the Congo -- $1 million; Liberia -- $4 million; Central African Republic -- $2 million; and Burundi -- $2 million.

Among the most underfunded emergencies, the $43.7 million appeal for Côte d'Ivoire has received only 30 per cent of needed funds, with no funding for water and sanitation and security projects, only two per cent for health projects and only seven and 17 per cent respectively for education and protection activities. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the appeal for which has received only 39 per cent of requested funds overall, no funds have been allocated for shelter activities, while health, education and food all remain less than 30 per cent funded.

For the Republic of Congo appeal, which has 32 per cent of requested funds for 2006, key underfunded sectors include protection (zero funding), agriculture (4 per cent) and water and sanitation and health (both at five per cent). Health funding under the appeal for Liberia is also only two per cent, with funding of the overall appeal standing at 34 per cent. Against the $36 million requested for the Central African Republic, only 42 per cent of funds have been made available, with coordination, water and sanitation and health activities funded at 14 per cent, 21 per cent, and 38 per cent respectively. Finally, only 34 per cent of the $123 million appeal for Burundi has been funded with no recorded funding for shelter, six per cent for health, 14 per cent for water and sanitation and 24 per cent for agriculture.

Following consultations with United Nations humanitarian agencies, additional allocations were made for six other country programmes with critically under-funded programmes. These include: Zimbabwe ($1 million), Guinea ($1 million), Burkina Faso ($2 million), Mauritania ($2 million), Mali ($2 million), and Eritrea ($2 million).

One third of all funds in the CERF are earmarked for use in underfunded emergencies, in order to help redress the existing imbalance in global aid distribution, as a result of which millions of people in so-called neglected or forgotten crises remain in need. The CERF, which is resourced by voluntary contributions, was approved by the General Assembly in December 2005 and officially launched on 9 March 2006. To date, 51 donors, including 49 Member States, have contributed nearly $264 million to the CERF. It is managed by the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs on behalf of the Secretary-General.