More than a third of the funds will support aid efforts in Yemen ($20 million) and Ethiopia ($15 million), where desperate civilians are grappling with the combined impact of hunger, displacement, diseases and climate disasters.

Allocations are also included for operations in conflict and climate-affected countries, including Myanmar ($12 million), Mali ($11 million), Burkina Faso ($10 million), Haiti ($9 million), Cameroon ($7 million) and Mozambique ($7 million).

Countries responding to El Niño-induced drought and flooding, such as Burundi ($5 million) and Malawi ($4 million), will also receive additional funds, a portion of which will promote climate-smart humanitarian action.

Funding of last resort

Joyce Msuya, acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator highlighted the importance of additional resources.

“In far too many humanitarian emergencies, a lack of funding prevents aid agencies from reaching people who need life-saving assistance, and that is heart-wrenching,” she said.

“CERF funding is an emergency cash injection of last resort to avert the worst and save lives when other humanitarian funding is inadequate. We urgently need increased and sustained donor attention to these underfunded crises,” she added.

Ms. Msuya is also the acting head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), taking over from Martin Griffiths, who stepped down in June.

Second allocation for 2024

The funds were CERF’s second allocation for underfunded emergencies for 2024, following the release of $100 million in February for seven countries, including Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Honduras, Lebanon, Niger, Sudan and Syria.

OCHA cautioned that the combined $200 million this year for humanitarian crises is the lowest amount in the last three years, underscoring the growing gap between humanitarian needs and the donor funding CERF receives to meet them.

This year, the humanitarian community is seeking some $49 billion to reach 187 million of the most vulnerable people in crises worldwide.

To date, only 29 per cent of this funding has been received – a shortfall of $35 billion.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.

As the global funding outlook remains grim, the United Nations today released US$100 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to address critical underfunding of humanitarian emergencies across 10 countries in Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East.

“In far too many humanitarian emergencies, a lack of funding prevents aid agencies from reaching people who need life-saving assistance, and that is heart-wrenching,” said Joyce Msuya, Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. “CERF funding is an emergency cash injection of last resort to avert the worst and save lives when other humanitarian funding is inadequate. We urgently need increased and sustained donor attention to these underfunded crises.”

More than one third of this new funding from CERF, which is managed by OCHA, will support aid operations in Yemen ($20 million) and Ethiopia ($15 million), where people are grappling with the combined impact of hunger, displacement, diseases and climate disasters.

The new funding package will also support humanitarian operations in countries beset by years of conflict and displacement, exacerbated by climate shocks and stresses. They include Myanmar ($12 million), Mali ($11 million), Burkina Faso ($10 million), Haiti ($9 million), Cameroon ($7 million) and Mozambique ($7 million). Countries responding to El Niño-induced drought and flooding, such as Burundi ($5 million) and Malawi ($4 million), are also included.

Recognizing climate change as a key driver of humanitarian needs, part of this allocation will promote climate-smart humanitarian action supported by CERF’s Climate Action Account.

This is CERF’s second allocation for underfunded emergencies this year, following the release of $100 million in February for seven countries.* However, the combined $200 million released this year for poorly funded humanitarian crises is the lowest amount in the last three years, underscoring the growing gap between humanitarian needs and the donor funding CERF receives to meet them.

This year, the humanitarian community is seeking some $49 billion to reach 187 million of the most vulnerable people in crises worldwide. To date, only 29 per cent of this funding has been received, leaving a $35 billion gap.

*CERF allocates funding for underfunded emergencies twice a year. The previous $100 million, released in February, supported humanitarian operations in Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Honduras, Lebanon, Niger, Sudan and Syria.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Chad hosts more than 1.1 million refugees, many escaping violence in Sudan, where rival militaries have been fighting since April 2023. At the same time, the war has also triggered colossal suffering within Sudan’s borders.

“The humanitarian task that we have in Sudan has been very big,” UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said. “It has been one that we have been consistently supporting the government to try to address the crisis. The suffering of the people in this country is one of the worst crises in the world today.”

Ms. Mohammed met officials in Chad and announced $5 million allocation from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) as part of a rapid response towards supporting flood recovery efforts, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters at UN Headquarters on Friday.

Region in crisis

Chad and neighbouring Sudan have been grappling with multiple crises. That includes the ongoing Sudanese war and recent floods affecting 960,000 people in Chad and 310,000 in Sudan, according to UN agencies.

Discussions between the UN deputy chief and local authorities in Chad centred on the complex challenges facing the country, including regional dynamics and key risks, and highlighted “the urgent need for global solidarity”, the UN Spokesperson said.

Reaffirming the UN’s commitment, Ms. Mohammed called for “maximum solidarity and resources” to ensure the humanitarian response fulfills its mandate and supports the people of the region, urging parties “to invest more in saving lives and livelihoods”.

‘Vital lifeline for aid delivery’

While in Chad, Ms. Mohammed observed the humanitarian corridor operation at the newly opened Adré crossing point into Sudan and engaged with refugee representatives, women, youth and community leaders, welcoming the recent opening as “a positive step” towards providing lifesaving aid in Sudan.

“This crossing is a vital lifeline for aid delivery to millions in Sudan and must remain open and accessible to facilitate large-scale humanitarian assistance while ensuring the safety of aid workers,” according to the UN Spokesperson.

Shuttered for one year, this humanitarian corridor will allow UN agencies to scale up assistance to 14 areas facing famine in Darfur, Kordofan, Khartoum and Al Jazirah.

‘We need resources now’

The UN deputy chief underlined the critical importance of keeping the border crossing permanently open.

The Adré crossing is the most effective and shortest route to deliver humanitarian assistance into Sudan – and particularly the Darfur region – at the scale and speed required to respond to the immense hunger crisis.

“What we have to do is to match the openings of these borders with the aid that goes in, and that means resources,” she insisted, “and so we need those resources, and we need them now.”

The UN $2.7 billion appeal is only 41 per cent funded.

Sudan: War, displacement and hunger

Across the border, in Sudan, food security experts recently declared that the war has pushed parts of North Darfur state into famine, particularly the Zamzam camp, where more than half a million displaced people are sheltering.

About 25.6 million people – over half of the population of Sudan – face acute hunger, including more than 755,000 people on the brink of famine and an estimated 10.7 million people are now internally displaced, according to UN agencies.

When visiting Sudan earlier this week, Ms. Mohammed met with the country’s President and cabinet members, who agreed that the Jeddah peace process must be implemented swiftly. She emphasised that “there is consensus there, and there is no reason why that cannot be moved forward.”

However, the discussion largely focussed on the humanitarian agenda and “the urgency of this”, she told reporters at a press conference in Port Sudan on Thursday.

She said efforts are addressing the Sudanese Government’s legitimate concerns and setting up procedures that “would ensure this aid gets to people where it’s meant.

‘Crisis around famine’

“We have impending crisis around famine,” Ms. Mohammed said. “We are not getting medical supplies in where there are health crises. But, more importantly, we have to remember the suffering of the people, and we are here to do this with the Government of Sudan.”

Ms. Mohammed met with displaced persons, the UN team as well as with a number of government officials.

“What we have done is to sit down with the humanitarian aid commission, and then we have had discussions on how, first of all, not to stop any of the aid that is available right now going in,” she explained.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.

“The lack of care, stigma, and administrative barriers, including in accessing medical and trauma services, rape kits, emergency contraception, and safe abortion performed by medical professionals, have resulted in dire consequences for survivors and repeated cycles of violence,” they emphasised.

The experts added that for those who have carried pregnancies to term, pre and post-partum services are “scarce, insecure, or entirely inaccessible”.

The many documented cases of sexual abuse, rape, enforced prostitution, sexual slavery, and unlawful killings by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and other armed groups are occurring against the backdrop of catastrophic levels of humanitarian crisis in Sudan.

Since the conflict between militia and the national army began in April 2023, it has resulted in the displacement of 10.2 million people and 26 million are facing acute hunger.

Targeting of rights defenders

The UN experts also condemned the targeting of women human rights defenders and first responders who work to document violations and provide services to survivors.

From January to June 2024, at least nine of them were targeted by parties involved in the conflict.

“The layers of violence, including the arbitrary detention, arrests, violations of due process and fair trial, and killings of women first responders and rights defenders, are appalling and perpetuate a chilling effect on the delivery of services and processes to ensure documentation of human rights violations, accountability and justice,” the experts said.

They are calling for an end to the violence, improved humanitarian access to the affected population, and a swift and effective investigation of human rights violations.

‘Leadership of women must be ensured’

The meaningful leadership and participation of women in the conflict resolution process must be ensured by all parties in accordance with Security Council Resolution 1325, the rights experts said.

“Women are continuing to raise their voice to call for a ceasefire, unhindered access to humanitarian aid, and effective monitoring of both. Women’s meaningful participation must be advanced as a matter of their rights and in order to achieve lasting and sustainable peace,” they affirmed.

They have communicated these concerns to both the Government of Sudan and RSF generals.

Special Rapporteurs are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor and report on specific country situations. They are not UN staff and are independent from any government or organisation.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.