HEADS OF UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AGENCIES ISSUE URGENT APPEAL

FOR INCREASED FUNDING, TO MAINTAIN ESSENTIAL SERVICES

Pleas to ECOSOC for Stronger Response to Humanitarian Crises

GENEVA, 12 July (UN Information Service) -- The heads of the main aid agencies of the United Nations said this afternoon that poor funding and a lack of safe access for aid workers threatened the core of humanitarian work worldwide.  In a rare joint statement, the four top-ranking United Nations humanitarian officials urged wealthy governments to be more generous and consistent in helping the victims of conflicts and natural disasters.

Kenzo Oshima, Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator; Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF); Catherine Bertini, Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP); and Ruud Lubbers, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, made the statement in Geneva where they are attending the summer session of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).  They also spoke individually.

“In the absence of a stronger commitment on the part of Member States, the humanitarian agencies will be unable to adequately discharge their mandate to the world’s victims of conflict and natural disasters”, said Mr. Oshima.  “We must address all emergencies on the basis of need.  We cannot operate effectively when critical components are not met.  It is also vital that we consolidate humanitarian gains by ensuring that we have the funds for rehabilitation.

“All too often, those who need life-saving assistance do not receive it because access to them is denied, either by the relevant authorities or by warring factions.  We must redouble our efforts to ensure access and make sure that aid can be delivered to as large a number of people in need as possible.”

Ms. Bertini, who is also the United Nations Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, warned that 11 million people are threatened by severe hunger as a result of a shortfall in the funding of United Nations humanitarian operations in the Horn of Africa.  “Thanks to the generosity and rapid response of the donors, we averted a famine last year in the Horn of Africa, but the crisis is not over since

the response this time has not been adequate”, she said.  (Donor response to the inter-agency appeal for the Horn of Africa of $455 million issued early this year remained low at 37 per cent, and most of it constituted food aid.  However, even food is insufficiently funded at only 43 per cent of the requirement.)

Ms. Bertini also emphasized the need for donors to fund all sectors of the inter-agency appeals for emergency crises.  She called for support to projects relating to water, health, livestock, seeds and education.  “The food part of inter-agency appeals are normally better funded and we thank the donors for that, but food alone will not resolve the problems.  The needs are linked and must be addressed so that the people of the Horn of Africa can rebuild their lives with enough strength, health and tools to make a difference for the future”, she added.

Ms. Bellamy reiterated the need for strengthened donor support, but also underlined the need for access to the civilian population, hardest hit in times of conflict.  "Humanitarian access and security for staff are often determining factors in reaching and supporting vulnerable groups caught up in conflict.  In the Democratic Republic of Congo, for example, women and children on both sides of the conflict depend on our support which, in turn, is dependent upon the good will of local authorities", Ms. Bellamy said.

However, she added, the Democratic Republic of the Congo was also an example of how all parties could work together to facilitate access.  "During a few days of tranquillity in early July, negotiated with the Government and rebel groups, more than 80,000 health workers and volunteers in that country went out to vaccinate children against polio.  The risks involved were starkly illustrated when some health workers were captured by rebels.  They have now fortunately been released.  These National Immunization Days were synchronized with neighbouring Angola, Congo and Gabon and aimed to reach 16 million children."

Mr. Lubbers, supporting the call for more funding, said access to affected populations was also absolutely essential for humanitarians to be able to do their job.  He cited a number of emergency operations from wartime Bosnia to Timor and to west Africa where lack of access had hampered aid work.

Mr. Lubbers deplored the lack of funding for Afghan refugees -– one of the world’s two largest refugee populations.  “Our message to the donors is:  if you want the numbers of Afghans arriving in Europe, North America and Australia to continue doubling every two years, then continue to under-fund Afghanistan”, he said.

To date, the United Nations humanitarian programmes for 19 worldwide crises have received $974 million of the $2.74 billion the United Nations has asked for, which represents a mere 35 per cent of the entire amount.  However, in some countries, humanitarian appeals have received as little as 4 per cent of the amount needed for 2001.

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