The United Nations has issued a plea for $46 billion in funding for 2024 to assist millions of people grappling with humanitarian crises worldwide.
The Global Humanitarian Overview for 2024, released by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) on December 11, highlights that nearly 300 million individuals will require humanitarian aid in the coming year due to conflicts, climate emergencies, and economic challenges.
Of particular concern is East and Southern Africa, where 74.1 million people are affected, notably in crisis-ridden Sudan.
“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 said that other organizations, including the Red cross and national Red Cross societies, had made their own funding appeals.
However, the overall humanitarian system faces a substantial funding crisis, with just over one-third of the required $57 billion funded in 2022, marking the “worst funding shortfall in years,” according to Ocha’s annual assessment.
The Middle East, including the occupied Palestinian territories, Gaza, and the West Bank, is anticipated to be a region of significant need. Griffiths emphasized the critical situation in Ukraine, stating that the country is facing desperate times, with a war expected to resume in full swing next year, requiring substantial attention.
