The United Nations’ Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has allocated $110 million to address neglected humanitarian crises across Africa, Asia, and Latin America as global aid funding faces significant reductions.
Tom Fletcher, the UN’s top humanitarian official, highlighted that over 300 million people require urgent assistance, but financial support has been dwindling, with 2024 projected to hit a record low.
“Brutal funding cuts don’t mean that humanitarian needs disappear; today’s emergency fund allocation channels resources swiftly to where they’re needed most,” Fletcher stated.
A significant portion of the CERF funds will be directed to Sudan and Chad, where millions have been displaced due to ongoing conflict. Other recipient countries include Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Honduras, Mauritania, Niger, Somalia, Venezuela, and Zambia.
Additionally, part of the funding will be used for life-saving projects aimed at protecting vulnerable populations from climate-related disasters.
Catherine Russell, UNICEF’s Executive Director, expressed deep concerns over the funding shortfalls, stressing that they severely impact the agency’s ability to assist millions of children facing crises. Russell noted that despite cost-saving measures and operational efficiencies, the growing gap between needs and available resources is becoming unsustainable.
Since 2000, global under-five mortality has dropped by 50% thanks to UNICEF’s programs. However, Russell urged donor nations to sustain funding to prevent catastrophic setbacks in child welfare.
Providing insight into one of the world’s most critical humanitarian situations, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric highlighted Afghanistan’s ongoing struggles.
More than 23 million Afghans—over half the country’s population—need urgent aid. The Taliban’s rule since August 2021 has further exacerbated the crisis.
Dujarric also warned that nearly 3.5 million children under five and over a million pregnant and breastfeeding women in Afghanistan are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition. Meanwhile, decades of war have left explosive hazards scattered across the country, killing or injuring an estimated 55 people—mostly children—every month.
With humanitarian funding already stretched thin, aid agencies are struggling to keep up with rising needs, further endangering millions in crisis-stricken regions.
