UN earmarks $100m for poorly funded humanitarian crises

Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo are among poorly-funded humanitarian crises for which the United Nations on Tuesday said it was allocating $100m - one of the lowest amounts released from its Central Emergency Response Fund in recent years. Image source: Reuters

The funding, drawn from the United Nations' Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), is among the smallest in recent years as aid organisations are grappling to attract donations amid a flurry of humanitarian crises.

"This reflects the reduced funding that CERF received in 2023, its lowest since 2018, and the dire reality that donor funding is failing to keep up with soaring humanitarian needs," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which manages the emergency fund, said in a statement.

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Global aid needs reached a high of almost nearly $57bn in 2023 as conflicts, including the war between Israel and Hamas, erupted around the globe, according to OCHA.

It said last month that the disparity between financial needs and resources had reached an unprecedented level of $35bn in unmet appeals for financial support.

In addition to the DRC, Sudan and Syria, the emergency fund allocation will also be used to fund the crisis response in Chad, Niger, Lebanon and Honduras.