The United Nations has announced an emergency allocation of $110 million to counter the sharp decline in global humanitarian aid, with a strong focus on Africa.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the funds, drawn from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), will support life-saving efforts in 10 of the most underfunded and overlooked crises across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Tom Fletcher, Emergency Relief Coordinator and head of OCHA stated that the funds is particularly targeted to countries grappling with conflict, climate change, and economic instability.
OCHA reports that only 5% of the required $45 billion to assist 185 million people has been secured, leaving a staggering $42 billion deficit, partly due to the funding cuts announced by the Trump administration.
A third of the funding will go toward the humanitarian response in Sudan, where civil war since April 2023 has led to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, as well as in neighboring Chad, which is sheltering a large influx of refugees fleeing the violence. Other recipient countries include Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Honduras, Mauritania, Niger, Somalia, Venezuela, and Zambia.
Since its inception in 2005, CERF has disbursed nearly $9.6 billion to address humanitarian crises in over 110 countries and territories. However, the UN warns that recent funding reductions threaten the lives of millions, particularly children affected by conflict.
