Donate to the Save Lives Fund, UN Secretary General António Guterres said in a video message to the event.
He calling Member states “dig deeper”, calling on new donors to continue efforts to achieve the annual target of $1 billion in support allocations next year.
Support people around the world
CERF was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2005 and is one of the main vehicles for providing rapid and flexible humanitarian funding in situations such as conflict or climate-related disasters, and Invest in preventive action.
Since then, more than $9 billion has been deployed to support people in more than 100 countries and territories such as Lebanon, where CERF partner of the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCRis helping to provide adequate housing and protection for families displaced by recent conflicts.
Aya Farhat, a young girl from the town of Braachit, is among those who benefit. Her family was displaced and she was forced to transfer to seven schools. At first they were in a small, messy room and falling asleep was a challenge.
“Now we have found a better room where we can stay and I am very happy,” Aya said in a video played during the opening ceremony. “Thankfully I’m with my family, no one was separated or missing.”
‘A success story for the United Nations’
CERF is a “success story of the United Nations”, the Secretary-General said in his message, praising the unique, effective and important role of the Fund.
“It is a first responder in a crisis – rooted in rapid analysis, rapid decision and rapid deployment, and focused on putting people first – and start relief as soon as possible,” he said.
He noted that since its inception, more than 60 recipient countries have become donors.
“But we need more support to build on CERF’s achievements,” he said.
“As humanitarian needs increase, donations cannot keep up. The need for a fully funded CERF – at $1 billion – has never been greater.”
Critical to the humanitarian response
The newly appointed UN Humanitarian Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, echoed this call.
He speak Humanitarian organizations are seeking $47 billion by 2025 to help 190 million people across 72 countries, and CERF is “vitally important” to these efforts.
Mr. Fletcher recently traveled to war-torn Sudan and neighboring Chad, where nearly half a million people have fled to escape the fighting.
“I met people whose lives were torn apart by conflict. I have witnessed the extraordinary generosity of the host community. I see humanitarians working with courage, ingenuity and expertise. And I saw in the midst of that response how CERF provided a vital impetus for the humanitarian responsehe said.
Since taking office, he has learned that “CERF is more than just the funding it provides; it also has to do with how it works” and gives three reasons why.
Fast, flexible, creative
Mr. Fletcher said CERF happened very quickly. For example, funding was released within hours of launching a lightning appeal for Lebanon following increased hostilities in September.
CERF also provides a lifeline to those facing neglected crises, he continued, by pumping $200 million this year into underfunded humanitarian responses in 17 countries. The majority of funding is used to support local responders and strengthen interventions for the most vulnerable.
“In places like DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo), CERF has provided essential support to survivors of gender-based violence,” he said. “And CERF’s allocations to underfunded emergencies help shine a light on neglected crises and inform broader donor decision-making.”
Ultimately, Mr. Fletcher said CERF drives innovation, maximizing the impact of every dollar given by donors. Thanks to their support for the new Climate Action Account, CERF has allocated $10 million to nine countries.
He added: “Not only will it save lives, but it will also help communities build resilience to future climate shocks, including projects to build flood-proof vegetable gardens and install running water pumps. with solar energy”.
Furthermore, CERF also expanded its support for predictive action to more than $100 million. This meant the Fund was able to deploy $3.4 million to Nepal within six minutes of a flood warning being issued in September, helping people prepare and thereby saving countless lives.
“As ‘SG’ just said, CERF is a success story for the United Nations, but more importantly, it is a success story for the humanitarian movement,” he told member states.
“But imagine… imagine what more we could do together if it were fully funded.”
commitment worth 349 million USD
At the conference, 44 donors pledged $349 million to CERF by 2025, with additional donors expected to contribute in the coming months, the United Nations office for humanitarian affairs said. said. OCHAreported later on Tuesday.
“Sponsor announcements at last year’s event reached $419 million,” the agency said in a press release. The roughly 17% decline is another indication of how dire the funding outlook will be in 2025.”
