Japan pledges $1 million for humanitarian aid

(New York, 15 April 2008): At a briefing convened today by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to update all Member States on the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), the Government of Japan announced a pledge of $1 million for 2008.

Japan was one of the top original contributors at the official launch of the CERF in 2006.

"This pledge is important in two ways. First, it will bring us closer to our target of $450 million for 2008," said John Holmes, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. "Secondly, it adds to the predictability of the CERF funding for the coming years since the contribution stems from a budget line dedicated exclusively to the Fund. This allows the Government of Japan to make a multiyear commitment."

"The United Nations encourages Member States to support the CERF through multiyear commitments to ensure the sustainability of the Fund," he added.

Since its inception, the CERF has helped to save millions of lives by providing quick initial funding for life-saving assistance in sudden onset, rapidly deteriorating, and underfunded humanitarian emergencies and natural disasters. It is part of an effort to redress imbalances in global aid distribution that have too often left millions of people in need in so-called neglected or forgotten crises.

Since its launch on 9 March 2006, the CERF has committed $750.4 million to humanitarian projects in 60 countries affected by natural disasters and armed conflicts, including the following countries in Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste and Tajikistan.

From January 2008 to the present, the CERF has committed $65.9 million to rapid response grants in 17 countries and $84.7 million to underfunded emergencies in 14 countries.

After the high-level conference in December 2007, the total cumulative amount of pledges and contributions exceeded the $1 billion-dollar mark. So far, pledges and contributions for 2008 have reached over $418 million.

Including the $50 million dollar loan element, the Fund is now close to the target of $500 million set for 2008 in a resolution adopted by the General Assembly in December 2005.

The broad donor base shows the commitment of Member States to a key element of the humanitarian reform. The CERF is a unique financial mechanism at the disposal of governments looking to enhance their assistance to populations hit by a disaster. It is the support from Member States that allows OCHA to manage the CERF as a fund for all by all.

For further information, please call:

Stephanie Bunker, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 5126, mobile +1 917 892 1679;

John Nyaga, OCHA-NY, + 1 917 367 9262;

Elisabeth Byrs, OCHA-Geneva, +41 22 917 2653, mobile, +41 79 473 4570.

OCHA press releases are available at http://ochaonline.un.org or www.reliefweb.int.