Shortfall in donations threatens wellbeing of 50m people: UN

The wellbeing of 50 million people living in crisis-hit regions is under threat because of a $2.25 billion shortfall in aid, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has said.

Despite some generous contributions, only 23.6% of the programmes being run by 168 humanitarian organizations to cope with 25 crises are being funded so far this year – a drop from 33% in 2002 and again in 2003.

Country appeals receiving the most meagre responses were Madagascar, which got $149,254 out of $9 million requested (1.7%) to handle drought and cyclones. Indonesia received nearly $1 million out of $43.2 million hoped for (2.2%) as the country experienced floods and earthquake. Donors gave Côte d’Ivoire $4 million out of $61.1 million (6.3%) needed.

“The response so far is too little, too late for millions of victims in forgotten emergencies. Timely and increased funding is essential for effective response,” OCHA chief Jan Egeland said.

Among the reasons for the cash crisis were the heavy donations of 2003 which depleted the funds available for 2004 and the “lacklustre economic situations in industrial countries" which have reduced donor governments’ resources.

The crises getting the best responses were located in Chechnya, Iran and West Africa, OCHA indicated in a table of requirements and contributions.

Chechnya received $29.78 million out of $60.1 million (49.5%), mainly for refugees. Iran got $15.9 million out of the $32 million (48.6%) that humanitarian and heritage workers estimated as necessary for its recovery from last year’s earthquake.

The West African sub-region, the location of recent and current civil conflicts, got $47.3 million out of $108.4 million (43.6%) it asked for to handle humanitarian emergencies, OCHA said.

(gmcg)