Poorly funded humanitarian crises to receive US$125 million from UN emergency fund

As global humanitarian needs skyrocket and the funding gap widens, support from the multi-donor fund CERF reaches new record

Geneva/New York, 5 September 2023: Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths today released US$125 million from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to boost underfunded humanitarian operations in 14 countries in Africa, Asia, the Americas and the Middle East. Afghanistan and Yemen top the recipient list with $20 million each.

The allocation will have an added focus on advancing efforts to better include affected people in humanitarian decision-making.

This injection brings the emergency fund’s total support through its Underfunded Emergencies window to more than $270 million this year. This is the largest annual amount ever allocated, to the highest number of countries, a reflection of skyrocketing humanitarian needs and the fact that regular donor funding is not keeping pace.

UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said: “It is a cruel reality that in many humanitarian operations, aid agencies are scraping along with very little funding right at a time when people’s needs compel them to scale up. Thanks to the generosity of a vast range of donors, we can count on CERF to fill some of the gaps. Lives are saved as a result. But we need individual donors to step up as well - this is a fund by all and for all.”

In 2023, global funding requirements have surpassed $55 billion to support 250 million people affected by conflict, the impact of the climate crisis, natural disasters, disease outbreaks, displacement and other crises. Faced with these record needs, less than 30 per cent of the funding required has been received.

Today’s CERF allocation will help scale up humanitarian assistance in some of the world’s most protracted and neglected crises: Afghanistan and Yemen ($20 million each), Burkina Faso ($9 million), Mali ($8 million), Myanmar ($9 million), and Haiti ($8 million).

The allocation will also support refugee operations in Bangladesh ($8 million) and Uganda ($6 million).

In addition, funding will go to Venezuela ($8 million), the Central African Republic ($6.5 million), Mozambique ($6.5 million), Cameroon ($6 million), the Occupied Palestinian Territories ($6 million), and Malawi ($4 million).

Note to the Editor

CERF is one of the fastest funding instruments available to help people affected by crises. Managed by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the fund enables timely, effective and life-saving humanitarian action by UN agencies and others to kick-start or reinforce emergency response anywhere it is required. Funding decisions for underfunded emergencies are based on detailed analysis of more than 90 humanitarian indicators and wide consultation with stakeholders.

Since its creation by the UN General Assembly in 2005, and with generous contributions from 130 Member States and observers, as well as other donors including private individuals, CERF has assisted hundreds of millions of people with more than $8.6 billion across more than 110 countries and territories. This includes more than $2.8 billion to underfunded crises. CERF has an annual funding target of $1 billion.

For further information, please contact: Jens Laerke, OCHA Geneva, laerke@un.org, +41 79 472 9750