- Allocated fund will support underfunded aid operations in seven countries in Africa, the Middle East and the Latin America.
- Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) was established by the UN General Assembly in 2005 as the UN global emergency response fund.
- Enables humanitarian actors to deliver life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable people, when and where needed the most.
- Emergency Relief Coordinator manages CERF on behalf of the UN Secretary-General.
- Releases resources for underfunded emergencies twice a year.
- It also serves as a strategic instrument for addressing critical funding gaps in underfunded humanitarian emergencies.
- Critical funding gaps for humanitarian emergency projects is widening, for instance UN-coordinated appeals have met only 60% of their funding requirements over the past decade (2010-20) (OXFAM, 2023).
- Reasons behind funding gap:
- Increased global conflicts: E.g. Syrian Conflict
- Rise in climate induced natural disasters: Drought in Horn of Africa
- Poly-crisis phenomenon: At a sub-national, national and systemic level risks are compounding exacerbating the frequency and severity of crisis.
- Other: Donor fatigue, geopolitical dynamics, etc.
- Measures Required:
- Improving funding through localised and flexible funding mechanisms.
- Deepening and broadening the funding base by developing new funding tools.
- Coordination between climate and humanitarian finance.