- Title: U.N. launches record $22 billion humanitarian appeal for 2017
- Date: 5th December 2016
- Summary: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (DECEMBER 5, 2016) (REUTERS) UNITED NATIONS BUILDING NEWS CONFERENCE ONGOING U.N. HUMANITARIAN CHIEF STEPHEN O'BRIEN LOOKING ON STEERING COMMITTEE FOR HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE (SCHR) EXECUTIVE SECRETARY KATE HALFF, U.N. UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS CHIEF STEPHEN O'BRIEN, U.N. OFFICE FOR THE COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS (OCHA) SPOKESMAN JENS LAERKE IN NEWS CONFERENCE JOURNALISTS LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. HUMANITARIAN CHIEF STEPHEN O'BRIEN SAYING: "This appeal, appeal 2017, comprising strategic and coordinated response-plans covering 33 countries, is calling for $22.2 billion - the highest amount we have ever requested. This is a reflection of a state of humanitarian need in the world not witnessed since the Second World War. More than 128 million people urgently need our support and solidarity, to survive and live in safety and dignity." CAMERAMAN FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. HUMANITARIAN CHIEF STEPHEN O'BRIEN SAYING: "More than 80% of the needs stem from man-made conflicts, many of which are now protracted, and push up demand for relief year after year. These crises affect entire regions." JOURNALIST LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) STEERING COMMITTEE FOR HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE (SCHR) EXECUTIVE SECRETARY KATE HALFF SAYING: "Part of the reason we have such a gap, or we have such a high level of need, is another extremely worrying trend - the fact that, in a way, humanitarian action has de facto become a substitute for any meaningful political action to prevent or end crises. The majority of the situations in this appeal are protracted conflict situations, and we should never, never forget, that humanitarian action cannot be a substitute for political action. We are not going to resolve these crises through humanitarian action." UNITED NATIONS BUILDING
- Embargoed: 20th December 2016 10:55
- Keywords: aid conflict natural disasters crisis
- Location: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
- City: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
- Country: Switzerland
- Reuters ID: LVA0015BLXXDZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The United Nations launched a record humanitarian appeal on Monday (December 5), asking for $22.2 billion in 2017 to help almost 93 million people hit by conflicts and natural disasters.
More than half of the money will be used to address the needs of people caught up in crises in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and South Sudan, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.
The appeal followed a trend of steady increases that have seen requests for funds grow almost three-fold from $7.9 billion in 2011.
"This is a reflection of a state of humanitarian need in the world not witnessed since the Second World War. More than 128 million people urgently need our support and solidarity, to survive and live in safety and dignity," U.N. Humanitarian Chief Stephen O'Brien told journalists in Geneva.
Several countries, including Afghanistan, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia have issued emergency appeals almost annually for the past 25 years and some faced worsening crises in 2017, the U.N. said.
In 2016, the U.N. sought $22.1 billion, having initially appealed for $20.1 billion but a shortfall in donations meant the appeal was only 51 percent funded as of Nov. 30.
"Part of the reason we have such a gap, or we have such a high level of need, is another extremely worrying trend - the fact that, in a way, humanitarian action has de facto become a substitute for any meaningful political action to prevent or end crises," said Kate Halff, who heads the U.N. Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response.
"We should never, never forget, that humanitarian action cannot be a substitute for political action. We are not going to resolve these crises through humanitarian action," Halff added.
As humanitarian needs continue to rise, aid workers are increasingly at risk of targeted attacks and their efforts are hampered by reduced access, growing disrespect for human rights and flagrant violations of international humanitarian law, O'Brien said.
In Syria, humanitarian needs were expected to "grow exponentially" if no political solution was found to the nearly six-year-old conflict, with 13.5 million people requiring aid.
In Afghanistan, where government forces are struggling to contain a Taliban insurgency, 1.8 million people, mostly children, will require treatment for acute malnutrition next year, according to the appeal.
The political crisis in Burundi will see the number of people in need of urgent support triple to about three million.
The U.N. last week doubled its appeal for northeast Nigeria to $1 billion, hoping to reach nearly 7 million people hit by the Islamist militant Boko Haram insurgency, including 75,000 children at risk of starving to death. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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