On Monday, December 11, 2023, a recently released United Nations report warned that, by 2024, 300 million people in 72 countries will require humanitarian assistance due to the compounding effects of climate change, displacement, and conflict, pushing them to the brink of famine.
The UN’s Global Humanitarian Overview for 2024 conveyed a solemn plea for urgent funding amounting to $46 billion to address the escalating humanitarian crises affecting various regions globally, including the occupied Palestinian territories, Sudan, and Ukraine, according to reports by Reuter Africa.
In emphasizing the critical nature of the situation, Martin Griffiths, the UN’s aid chief, stressed the imperative to target 181 million of the projected 300 million individuals in need. OCHA’s annual assessment underscored a substantial funding crisis, revealing that just over one-third of the $57 billion required for aid provision was secured in the previous year, indicating a critical shortfall.
“We will target for our specific needs, for the agencies that I represent, 181 million of those 300,” said U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths. He described this financial gap as the “worst funding shortfall in years,” acknowledging the challenge of scaling down the appeal for 2024 while ensuring that aid agencies adopt a realistic, focused, and resolute approach to evaluating requirements.
The Middle East, particularly Gaza and the West Bank, is expected to be a key focus for aid efforts, with Griffiths anticipating that this region will experience the highest demand. Concurrently, he underscored the urgency of directing attention to Ukraine, which faces desperate times and a looming resurgence of full-scale conflict in the coming year, necessitating substantial aid interventions.
Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Griffiths highlighted that various organizations, including the Red Cross and national Red Cross societies, have initiated their funding appeals to collectively address the widespread humanitarian challenges confronting the global community.
Ref: Reuters
