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UN’s $46B Fund set to Urgently aid 300 million people in 2024.
UN’s $46B fund set to urgently aid 300 million people in 2024.
A recent United Nations report states that around 300 million people living in 72 countries will need humanitarian assistance by 2024. Climate change, displacement, and conflict have pushed more individuals to the brink of famine, leading to this situation.
In a solemn plea disclosed in its Global Humanitarian Overview for 2024, the UN is urgently seeking a substantial $46 billion in funding to address the escalating humanitarian crises gripping numerous regions worldwide. Among the areas requiring critical assistance are the occupied Palestinian territories, Sudan, and Ukraine, based on reports by Reuter Africa.
Martin Griffiths, the UN’s aid chief, articulated the imperative to target 181 million of the projected 300 million in need, emphasizing the gravity of the situation. OCHA’s annual assessment underscores a substantial funding crisis, with just over one-third of the $57 billion required for aid provision secured in the preceding year, marking a critical shortfall.
“We will target for our specific needs, for the agencies that I represent, 181 million of those 300,” said U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths. Griffiths characterized this financial gap as the “worst funding shortfall in years,” acknowledging the difficulty in scaling down the appeal for 2024 while concurrently ensuring that aid agencies adopt a realistic, focused, and resolute approach when evaluating requirements.
The Middle East, particularly Gaza and the West Bank, is anticipated to be a focal point for aid efforts, with Griffiths expressing the expectation that this region will register the highest demand. Simultaneously, he underscored the exigency of directing attention to Ukraine, beset by desperate times and a looming resurgence of full-scale conflict in the coming year, necessitating substantial aid interventions.
Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Griffiths highlighted that various organizations, including the Red Cross and national Red Cross societies, have initiated their funding appeals to collectively address the widespread humanitarian challenges confronting the global community.
