UN STILL NEEDS $2.6 BILLION TO MEET URGENT HUMANITARIAN NEEDS

FOR 30 MILLION PEOPLE IN 29 COUNTRIES

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 29 June (UN Information Service) -- Six months after their launch of appeals for this year, the United Nations and its partners still require $2.6 billion to address the urgent humanitarian needs of 30 million people in 29 countries.

Much has been achieved with the $2.4 billion of the appealed funds which have materialized thus far.  This funding -- equal to 48 per cent of the funding requirements for the year -- has helped to feed tens of millions of people, vaccinate millions from diseases and has provided shelter to hundreds of thousands globally.  However, excluding the Indian Ocean Flash Appeal, launched at the beginning of the year shortly after the South Asian tragedy, funding amounts to only to 36 per cent of the overall requirements to meet the needs of those living in war-ravaged countries and affected by natural disasters. 

At this point in time last year the appeals were 24 per cent funded. Nonetheless, “More remains to be done.  The percentage response is still low and there remains a late donor response, even though the current situation is a marked improvement”, said Yvette Stevens, Assistant Emergency Relief Coordinator and Director of OCHA-Geneva [Office of the Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs].

Although the average funding is 48 per cent, eight appeals are less than 30 per cent funded.  So far the Djibouti Drought Flash Appeal ($7.5 million required) has received only 5 per cent, the Benin Flash Appeal ($6 million required) has received 9 per cent, the Niger Flash Appeal ($18 million required) 15 per cent, the Central African Republic Appeal ($26 million required) 17 per cent, the Chad Appeal ($223 million required) 27 per cent, the Guyana Flash Appeal ($2.5 million required) 29 per cent, and the Côte d’Ivoire Appeal ($36 million required) and Republic of Congo ($24 million required) appeals 30 per cent.

“Every human life has the same value, and the same attention should be paid to tsunami victims, as to Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, and the Republic of Congo.  This is not the case today and the majority of our activities in Africa are badly underfunded”, said Jan Egeland, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.

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