305 million people need lifesaving help next year, says UN’s top aid official
- Date: 2024-12-04 12:00
- Source: Top Stories
The United Nations’ top aid official has warned that 305 million people will need lifesaving assistance next year, the highest number since records began.
Martin Griffiths, the UN’s Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said the world is facing an “unprecedented” level of need, driven by conflict, climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are facing a perfect storm of humanitarian crises,” Griffiths said. “The number of people in need of humanitarian assistance has more than doubled in the past decade, and it is continuing to rise.”
The UN’s Global Humanitarian Overview for 2023 estimates that 305 million people in 68 countries will need humanitarian assistance next year. This is up from 274 million people in 56 countries this year.
The report identifies conflict as the main driver of humanitarian need, with 222 million people affected by conflict in 2023. Climate change is also a major factor, with 102 million people affected by climate-related disasters in 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic has also had a significant impact, with 152 million people facing food insecurity due to the pandemic in 2022.
Griffiths said that the UN is “scaling up our response to meet the growing needs,” but warned that “we need more support from the international community.”
“We cannot afford to wait until these crises reach our doorstep,” Griffiths said. “We need to act now to prevent further suffering and loss of life.”
The UN is appealing for $51.5 billion in humanitarian aid for 2023. This is the largest appeal in the UN’s history.
Additional information:
- The UN’s Global Humanitarian Overview for 2023 is available here: www.unocha.org/sites/unocha/files/GHO-2023-English.pdf
- The UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) is a pooled fund that provides rapid funding to humanitarian emergencies. CERF is currently facing a funding shortfall of $250 million. More information about CERF is available here: www.unocha.org/cerf
- The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization fighting hunger. WFP is currently providing food assistance to over 100 million people in over 80 countries. More information about WFP is available here: www.wfp.org
305 million people need lifesaving help next year, says UN’s top aid official
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