The United Nations needs $46.4 billion for humanitarian operations in the coming year, according to a report released Monday.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported in its Global Humanitarian Overview 2024 that this money would help almost 181 million people in 72 countries.
Despite wars, conflicts and climate disasters, combined with hunger, poverty, disease outbreaks and displacement, the office has seen donations dwindle.
OCHA head Martin Griffiths said the humanitarian system is facing a severe funding crisis.
‘In 2023, we received just over one-third of the $57 billion required,’ he wrote in a statement on the OCHA website. ‘This is the worst funding shortfall in years. Yet, we still managed to deliver life-saving assistance and protection to 128 million people around the world.’
The sharp decline in resources has forced humanitarian agencies to make increasingly painful decisions, including cutting life-saving food, water and health programming.
As
a result, the target for 2024 has had to be scaled back to helping 181 million people, rather than 245 million.
‘I am deeply concerned about what this means for humanitarian action in 2024,’ said Griffiths. ‘Without adequate funding, we cannot provide life-saving assistance. And if we cannot provide that assistance, people will pay with their lives,’ he said.
Due to the low level of donations, 10 million people in Afghanistan did not receive any food aid between May and November this year.
In Myanmar, it was not possible to build better accommodation for half a million displaced people as planned.
Source: Ghana News Agency