Conflicts, climate emergencies, economic collapses: the prospects are “dark” for 2024, warns the United Nations (UN) on Monday, December 11. The institution is launching an appeal for $46.4 billion (43.1 billion euros) to help 180.5 million people around the world.
Without sufficient funding, “people will pay for it with their lives”, warned the UN. If all eyes are currently focused on the war in the Gaza Strip, the organization recalls that the Middle East, Sudan and Afghanistan have also benefited from significant international aid operations. However, the scale of the annual appeal and the number of beneficiaries to be helped have been revised downwards compared to 2023, due to the reduction in donations.
“Humanitarians save lives, fight hunger, protect children, fend off epidemics and provide shelter and sanitation in the most inhumane situations”said the head of UN humanitarian operations, Martin Griffiths, in a statement. “But the necessary support from the international community does not match the needs”he lamented.
The United Nations appealed for $56.7 billion for 2023, but received only 35%, the worst funding shortfall in years. UN agencies provided assistance and protection to 128 million people.
Call for donations revised downwards
2023 is set to become the first year since 2010 that donations for humanitarian aid have declined compared to the previous year. Also, for 2024, the UN has decided to revise its appeal downwards, choosing to focus on the most urgent needs.
In launching the appeal for funds for 2024, Mr Griffiths acknowledged that the amount requested remained “massive” and would likely be difficult to assemble, as many donor countries are experiencing economic difficulties. But “Without adequate funding, we will not be able to provide lifesaving assistance. And if we cannot provide this assistance, people will pay with their lives.”he warned.
The call for donations aims to finance operations in 72 countries, i.e. 26 states in crisis and 46 neighboring countries which are suffering the repercussions, such as the influx of refugees. These are first of all Syria (4.4 billion dollars), followed by Ukraine (3.1 billion), Afghanistan (3 billion), Ethiopia (2.9 billion), and Yemen (2.8 billion).
There could be almost 300 million people in need worldwide in 2024, according to Mr Griffiths. But the United Nations will only focus its efforts on 180.5 million of them, with the others also able to obtain assistance from NGOs and other organizations as well as from the countries themselves.
Needs linked to the effects of climate change
The first geographical area concerned by this call for funds is the Middle East and North Africa (13.9 billion). But Mr. Griffiths also drew attention to the needs in Burma, Ukraine which is going through a “desperate winter” with the prospect of an intensification of the war, and in Sudan which, according to him, is not getting the attention it deserves from Western capitals.
Concerning Venezuela, the UN official said he hoped that political dialogue would allow frozen assets to be released and would constitute a “very good example of dialogue leading to social rewards”. In Afghanistan, he said that if economic investments could be made without losing sight of human rights, the international community could avoid a potential famine at a lower cost.
The needs linked to the effects of climate change are also increasingly important. “There is no doubt that climate competes with conflict as a driver of needs”he notes. “Climate is displacing more children now than conflict. It has never been so much like this in the past”.