UN seeks record 20 bln USD to help 90 mln people in 2016
Xinhua, December 8, 2015 Adjust font size:
The UN humanitarian chief, Stephen O'Brien, on Monday launched a record 20.1 billion U.S. dollars humanitarian appeal to help nearly 90 million of the world's most vulnerable and marginalized people in 2016, a UN spokesman told reporters here.
O'Brien, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and UN emergency relief coordinator, launched the appeal in Geneva, Farhan Haq, the deputy UN spokesman, said at a daily news briefing here.
"The amount called for by Stephen O'Brien for the Global Humanitarian Overview 2016 is five times the amount appealed for a decade ago," Haq said.
The appeal was intended to help 87 million people in 37 national and regional crises in 2016, UN officials said here.
O'Brien told reporters that human suffering has reached levels not seen since the Second World War, with more than 125 million people needing humanitarian assistance to survive in 2016.
"Mr. O'Brien urged the international community to respond generously again to the call for funding," Haq said.
"Conflicts in Syria, Iraq, South Sudan and Yemen will remain among the greatest drivers of prolonged humanitarian needs in 2016, fueling new displacement within countries and across borders," he said. Endit