Safety and Security Department Launches $14.3 Million Appeal for 2023-2024 to Help United Nations Deliver Humanitarian Aid Where It Is Most Needed

The United Nations Department for Safety and Security today launched its 2023-2024 appeal “Helping the UN to Deliver in Emergencies”.  This appeal, totaling $14.29 million, will help United Nations Security respond globally with the right capabilities at the right time and in the right place.

Over the last decade, the environment in which the United Nations and its partners operate has become more complex, and the threats that staff face have increased in severity.  The United Nations is now operating in 50 locations that are classified as high threat, compared to five in 2005.  When an emergency hits, the Department for Safety and Security is called to support the United Nations response.  Security is a prerequisite for delivering assistance and reaching those most in need.  The proliferation of crises over the past years now outstrips what the Department can deliver with its existing resources.  The Department has found itself stretched beyond its resourced capacity to meet the increasing demands in support of United Nations operations.

Through this two-year appeal, the Department of Safety and Security is seeking voluntary contributions from the international community to strengthen its capacity and capability in four critical areas:  emergency response, information management, psychosocial support as well as advocacy, evidence and learning.  These areas are under capacity and underfunded and constitute the Department’s most acute and urgent vulnerabilities.  Taken together, these initiatives will enhance collaboration within the United Nations and contribute to collective outcomes that reduce vulnerability of populations in our fields of operation.

Gilles Michaud, Under Secretary-General for Safety and Security, highlighted the criticality of these initiatives, saying:  “The successful implementation of the appeal will ensure that, as emergencies arise, my Department can demonstrate not only flexibility and speed, but respond with the right capabilities at the right time and in the right place.  This is what reliable and trusted security leadership is.”

The 2023-2024 Appeal can be found on UNDSS’ website.