UN and partners launch $16bn humanitarian appeal
December 8, 2014 (JUBA) – The United Nations and its partners on Monday launched a humanitarian appeal for $16.4bn to assist at least 57.5 million of the world’s most vulnerable people next year.
“We will continue to put people at the centre of our relief efforts and do everything we can to respond quickly and effectively,” she stressed, adding, “but the rising scale of need is outpacing our capacity to respond.”
This year reportedly witnessed a sharp rise in the number of people affected by conflict and millions were forced to flee and became dependent on humanitarian aid for their survival.
Next year, however, the UN and its partners say that the crises in Central African Republic, Iraq, South Sudan and Syria will remain top humanitarian priorities, likely to account for over 70% of the $16bn.
“This is not business as usual in the humanitarian world,” António Guterres, the UN high commissioner for refugees said on Monday.
“Today’s needs are at unprecedented levels, and without more support there simply is no way to respond to the humanitarian situations we’re seeing in region after region and in conflict after conflict,” he added.
SOUTH SUDAN
Last week, the UN assistance secretary general for humanitarian affairs, Kyung-Wha Kang, described as “bleak” the humanitarian situation in South Sudan and demanded more donor support.
Kang told reporters in New York on Thursday that numbers of severely food insecure people was likely to reach 2.5 million early next year.
“While the leaders of both sides continue to talk and negotiate peace, millions of South Sudanese are suffering,” she remarked.
Over 100,000 people have sought refuge in UN bases across the country for fear of their lives or after being attacked from homes.
Tens of thousands of people have been killed and nearly two million displaced since violence pitting president Salva Kiir and his former deputy, Riek Machar broke out in the nation’s capital late last year.
(ST)