Statement by the Federal Foreign Office on the increase in the Central Emergency Response Fund

The United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) is providing a further 45 million dollars for particularly under-financed humanitarian crises. A Federal Foreign Office Spokesperson issued the following statement on this today (30 August):

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We must not forget lesser-known crises and the people affected by them. In disaster situations, CERF provides rapid funding to aid organisations so that help reaches the people in need as quickly as possible.

UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O’Brien has authorised the release of 45 million dollars from CERF for particularly neglected and under-financed crises. This funding will enable aid organisations in Afghanistan, Chad, the Sudan and the Central African Republic to help people in need to live in dignity.

Germany has been a major supporter of CERF, both politically and financially, since the Fund’s establishment in 2005 and has increased its contribution further this year to 60 million euros, thus making it one of the most important donors to CERF. In this way, Germany is enabling CERF to continue its important work in the world’s crisis-hit regions.

Background information:

On Monday (28 August), UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O’Brien released further funds from CERF. Previously under-financed humanitarian aid projects in four countries (Afghanistan, Chad, the Sudan and the Central African Republic) will receive 45 million dollars in aid overall as a result. In these four countries alone, 21 million people urgently need humanitarian assistance such as food, safe drinking water and healthcare.

CERF facilitates a rapid response to acute humanitarian crises, meaning that humanitarian assistance can be provided quickly in an emergency situation. The Federal Foreign Office has been supporting CERF’s work politically and financially for years. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is tasked with monitoring CERF. The funds in CERF, which are contributed by UN Member States, enable the aid organisations that receive support to intervene in crisis situations at an early stage. CERF attaches particular importance to providing funding to humanitarian emergencies that have been largely forgotten by the public and humanitarian donors. As well as providing support for acute crises, CERF pays particular attention to forgotten and under-financed crises in Africa, South Asia, the Middle East and the Caribbean.

Thanks to its rapid response capability, CERF has provided life-saving aid to many millions of people since its establishment in 2005. Every year, an average of 20 million people are provided with medical care, a further 10 million receive food and 8 million water.

The Federal Foreign Office does justice to the importance of CERF for humanitarian assistance. In 2016, Germany provided 50 million euros to the Fund. It has increased its contribution to 60 million euros for 2017. Other donors are also called upon to support the work of CERF. Although it has a broad basis of 125 Member States as well as private donors, recent figures indicate that the ten largest donors (including Germany) contribute 87 percent of its funding. 

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from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2017/170830-VN-Nothilfefonds.html?nn=479796