Central Emergency Response Fund provides unprecedented $172 million to neglected emergencies
(Geneva, 16 July 2013): The United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Valerie Amos, today announced the allocation of some US$72 million for humanitarian work in neglected crises in twelve countries around the world. These new allocations bring the total amount provided through the underfunded emergencies window of the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to an unprecedented $172 million in a single year.
These allocations will support vital humanitarian aid in Bangladesh (US$ 2 million), Chad ($8 million), Colombia ($3.5 million), the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea ($6 million), Haiti ($1.5 million), Madagascar ($3 million), Mauritania ($4 million), Myanmar ($3 million), Niger ($8 million), Pakistan ($10 million), the Philippines ($3 million) and Somalia ($20 million).
“Millions of people around the world are in dire need but we don’t always see or hear of their plight,” said Valerie Amos. “This money will save lives by ensuring that humanitarian organizations can continue to support the most vulnerable men, women and children caught in the midst of devastating disasters and conflicts.”
As mandated by the General Assembly, a third of all CERF funds are set aside each year for underfunded emergencies to help even out the disparities between appeals. Since 2006, nearly a third of the $3 billion allocated from CERF has gone to neglected crises in more than 40 countries. Full details of countries and allocations in this round can be found on the CERF website (www.unocha.org/cerf).
CERF is funded by voluntarycontributions from UN Member States, NGOs, local governments, the private sector and individual donors. For 2013, donors have so far pledged more than $420 million in support of the Fund, bringing the total amount contributed to CERF since March 2006 to more than $3.2 billion.