Secretary-General Guterres appoints eight new advisers to UN emergency fund

(New York, 30 September 2022) United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed eight new members to the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) Advisory Group. Established by the General Assembly in 2005, the Advisory Group provides policy guidance and advice on the use of CERF funds to the Secretary-General through the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths. CERF Advisory Group members serve a single three-year term.

The new members are:

• Ecuador: Mr. Cristian Torres Bermeo, Director at the National Service for Risk and Emergency Management.

• Germany: Ms. Susanne Fries-Gaier, Director for Humanitarian Assistance in the Federal Foreign Office of Germany.

• Libya: Mr. Hesham Huwisa, Head of the Humanitarian Affairs Division of the Mission of the State of Libya to the United Nations and International Organizations in Geneva.

• Netherlands: Ms. Caecilia Wijgers, acting Ambassador of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands to Afghanistan.

• Norway: Ms. Hilde Salvesen, Policy Director of the Section for Humanitarian Affairs of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

• Saudi Arabia: Dr. Aqeel Jamaan Al-Ghamdi, Assistant Supervisor General for Planning and Development of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center.

• 8*The United States of America**: Ms. Sarah Charles, Assistant to the Administrator at the U.S. Agency for International Development and Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance.

• Zimbabwe: Mr. Zvinechimwe R. Churu, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works of Zimbabwe.

The Advisory Group now has 20 members from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Gulf, the Latin America and Caribbean region, North America and Oceania.

Since 2006, CERF has enabled humanitarian organizations to provide rapid humanitarian assistance to tens of millions of people across the globe. Between 2006 and 2021, CERF disbursed some US$7.5 billion for life-saving assistance in more than 111 countries and territories, with contributions from 131 Member States and observers, as well as regional governments, corporate donors, foundations and individuals. So far this year, the Fund has allocated $559 million to support humanitarian operations in 37 countries. This includes responding to the crisis in Ukraine and addressing food insecurity in the Horn of Africa and Sahel.

CERF has a proven track record of providing time-critical funding for life-saving humanitarian assistance in crises across the globe. In 2016, the General Assembly endorsed an annual funding target of $1 billion, which is critical for the global humanitarian system as it strives to meet growing needs.

For further information, please contact:

In Geneva, Jens Laerke, laerke@un.org, +41 79 472 9750

In New York, Jaspreet Kindra, kindra@un.org, +1 929 273 8109