The United Nations has announced a $250 million fund to assist people who have been “forgotten in crises” and prevent famine, warning of a 25% increase in the number of people worldwide who require humanitarian aid.
The UN Secretary General. António Guterres, said on Saturday that “Around the world today, 339 million people are in need of humanitarian aid – an increase of more than 25 percent since last year.”
“In 2022, the UN and its partners reached nearly 160 million people, but the surge in humanitarian needs is fast outpacing the ability to respond. This year, to meet the basic needs of 240 million people, nearly $54 billion is required, but it is anticipated that less than half that amount will be raised,” he said.
The newly allocated $250 million fund by the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) will be used to help people in 19 countries, including Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Haiti, and others.
Afghanistan, according to the UN, is currently facing the most significant humanitarian crisis in the world. An estimated 28 million people require urgent humanitarian assistance, with approximately 6 million of them at risk of famine.
