Germany doubles support to UN emergency fund

(New York: 13 December 2007): At the high-level United Nations conference convened today in support of the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), the Government of Germany announced that it would double its contribution to the Fund to $14.7 million.

As a new donor in 2007, Germany pledged $6.6 million, which put it among the top 15 donors to the Fund. This increased pledge places Germany among the top 10 donors.

"Reaching an annual goal of $450 million requires the participation of many donors year after year," said John Holmes, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. "Germany's very welcome doubling of its contribution reaffirms its commitment to assisting millions of vulnerable people around the globe with immediate lifesaving activities wherever and whenever required," he added.

Germany's generosity in funding the CERF is in addition to its other humanitarian aid, which, according to the Financial Tracking Service of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, reached a five-year high in 2007, with the exception of 2005, where a large amount of funding went to countries affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami and to postquake Pakistan.

The CERF helped to save millions of lives during its first two years by providing quick initial funding for life-saving assistance and rapid response in sudden onset, rapidly deteriorating, and underfunded humanitarian emergencies and natural disasters. It helped to redress the imbalances in global aid distribution that have too often left millions of people in so-called neglected or forgotten crises in need.

Since its launch on 9 March 2006, the Central Emergency Response Fund has committed $595.3 million to humanitarian projects in 59 countries affected by natural disasters and armed conflicts. Since January 2007, the CERF has committed $212.9 million to rapid response grants in 48 countries and $124 million to underfunded emergencies in 23 countries. The United Nations encourages Member States to support the CERF through multi-year commitments to ensure the sustainability of the Fund.

For further information, please call: Stephanie Bunker, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 5126, mobile +1 917 892 1679; Elisabeth Byrs, OCHA-Geneva, +41 22 917 2653, mobile, +41 79 473 4570.