from MARIA MACHARIA in Nairobi, Kenya
Kenya Bureau
NAIROBI, (CAJ News) -THE United Nations (UN) has launched a record US$51,5 billion humanitarian appeal for 2023.
This is a 25 percent increase compared to the beginning of 2022.
The increased appeal comes as 339 million people are in need of assistance in 69 countries, an increase of 65 million people compared to the same time last year.
East Africa is among the most concerning regions where crises are mounting.
“Humanitarian needs are shockingly high, as this year’s extreme events are spilling into 2023,” said the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths.
“Lethal droughts and floods are wreaking havoc in communities from Pakistan to the Horn of Africa, the envoy noted, as the war in Ukraine has turned a part of Europe into a battlefield,” Griffiths said.
More than 100 million people are now displaced worldwide and the pandemic has worsened global woes.
“For people on the brink, this appeal is a lifeline,” Griffiths said.
“For the international community, it is a strategy to make good on the pledge to leave no one behind.”
It is estimated at least 222 million people in 53 countries will face acute food insecurity by the end of 2022.
Public health is under pressure due to COVID-19, monkeypox, vectorborne diseases, and outbreaks of Ebola and cholera.
Climate change is driving up risks and vulnerability.
Donors have provided $24 billion in funding as of mid-November 2022, slightly over half of requirements.
– CAJ News