The United States, through USAID, announced its largest contribution to date to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). This $20 million contribution supports the delivery of life-saving assistance around the world and helps reach some of the most vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations.
The CERF plays a critical role in responding to the needs of the world’s most vulnerable, helping UN agencies and partners provide life-saving assistance to more than 32 million people across 42 countries in 2022 alone. This year, the CERF is supporting the response to crises caused by conflict and extreme weather events in Sudan, the Horn of Africa, and other countries. Most recently, on September 12, the UN allocated $10 million in CERF funding to rapidly assist people impacted by the recent floods in Libya. In addition to mobilizing aid in the wake of disasters, CERF also provides urgently needed support for countries facing underfunded emergencies, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo – where more than 26.4 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance this year – and Yemen, where a timely CERF loan earlier this year enabled an emergency operation that safely offloaded a million barrels of oil from the Safer tanker off the coast of Yemen.
The world is facing historic needs amid increasingly protracted conflicts and the escalating climate emergency, as well as the continuing ripple effects of Russia’s war against Ukraine. The UN estimates that 363 million people worldwide will require assistance this year – a 12 percent increase from 2022. Funding from the CERF allows humanitarian organizations to rapidly mobilize aid for the people in greatest need, both in places facing protracted crises and those affected by newly emerging disasters. As climate-induced disasters continue to drive increasing needs, USAID increased its contribution by nearly $5 million from its FY 2022 contribution to support scaling action to minimize and address the impacts of climate shocks through the CERF.
USAID is proud to support the CERF as part of the United States’ global efforts to respond to these unprecedented needs. We urge fellow donors to join us in contributing to the humanitarian community’s collective efforts to save lives and ease suffering around the world.