UN provides over $427m for humanitarian relief in 2011 – Report

The United Nations humanitarian office in a report released May 29, 2012 said it provided more than $427 million in 2011 to assist countries that suffered from emergencies such as drought, floods, and food insecurity.

The funds were channeled through the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to 45 countries during the year, the organisation’s 2011 Annual Report of the Central Emergency Response Fund highlighted.

Climate-related emergencies due to drought, floods and storms, received more than $149 million from CERF last year while more than $128 million was given to the Horn of Africa, the UN News Centre reported.

Needed money was also provided to help humanitarian partners intervene early in Africa’s Sahel region to help people affected by drought-related hunger in Niger, Chad and Mauritania, the UN said.

The CERF is a humanitarian fund established by the United Nations to enable more timely and reliable humanitarian assistance to those affected by natural disasters and armed conflicts, helping agencies to pre-position funding for humanitarian action. The Fund is financed by voluntary contributions from Member States, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), local governments, the private sector and individual donors.

The reported noted that the World Food Programme (WFP) remained CERF’s top-funded agency in 2011, and was given $127 million, almost 30% of all CERF funds. This was due to its role providing emergency food aid.

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) was the second-highest funded agency in 2011, receiving $109 million in support of 130 projects in 38 countries.

The report listed programmes in some countries which have received resources from the Fund. They were Cambodia, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Guatemala, Kenya, Niger, the Philippines, the Republic of the Congo, Somalia, South Sudan and Turkey.

By Ekow Quandzie