Escalating Humanitarian Assistance Demands Political Will, Increased Funding: UN Chief

News Desk

Islamabad: Political will and pecuniary support are needed to combat war, climate change, famine, and the food crisis as humanitarian needs worldwide increase, and be ready for the next emergencies that inevitably lurk around the corner; said United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths.

Famine is imminent, the world is experiencing the worst food crisis in modern times, women’s rights are being violated, and tensions are at an all-time high in places where injustice is rampant, stated Martin Griffiths at the Riyadh Humanitarian Forum in Saudi Arabia.

“More than 350 million people around the world currently need humanitarian assistance. We need almost $54 billion to meet the basic needs of the worst affected among them, but experience shows that we can expect to raise barely half of that amount,” he said.

He added that these figures are still rising because of continuous conflict, the climatic disaster, and a collapse in the economy brought on by the coronavirus pandemic and the crisis in Ukraine.

Griffiths also emphasised the part that humanitarians play in reacting to catastrophes, adding that their mission is to “never give up”. In order to fulfill this mission, he also requested real-world support.

“To end the wars and conflicts we know and stop new ones from breaking out, we urgently need a surge in diplomatic efforts,” said UN Relief Chief.

“We also need to address climate change head on, because every flood, heat wave, drought or super storm leaves a humanitarian crisis in its wake,” he added. Agencies

More funding is required now for humanitarian efforts to save lives, according to Martin, who also noted that 45 million people, mostly women and children, were in danger of becoming hungry. Globally, more than 222 million people do not know when they will next eat.

On Guterres’ announcement over the weekend of a $250-million allocation from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), Griffiths said the funds would jump-start efforts, but indicated these are not enough.

He urged donors to increase their contributions, as “humanitarian work cannot be done in isolation. All hands must be on deck.”