UN allocates $84 million for neglected emergencies

(January 19, 2011) United Nations Humanitarian Office has allocated $84 million dollars for neglected emergencies. More than a dozen neglected emergencies around the world, where people are suffering the effects of hunger, malnutrition, disease, displacement and conflict, received a boost on Tuesday with the UN’s monetary help. The UN’s humanitarian chief, Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos, made the funds available to 15 countries, with the money coming from the Central Emergency Response Fund , CERF, a humanitarian fund established by the United Nations to enable more timely and reliable humanitarian assistance to those affected by natural disasters and armed conflicts. This is the first round of allocations from CERF for under-funded emergencies in 2011; the second round will take place in July.
CERF is funded by voluntary contributions from member states, NGOs, local governments, the private sector and individual donors. This year, donors have so far pledged nearly $358 million in support of CERF.
Since 2006, CERF has disbursed nearly $2 billion to help millions of victims of natural disasters and conflict in nearly 80 countries.