BROOKEVILLE, Maryland — The second round of Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) grants promises $70 million in humanitarian aid. Specifically, Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Bangladesh will benefit from this aid.
The CERF grants are used by the U.N. as a means of last resort humanitarian aid operation funding. The fund has $4.1 billion generated by donations from 125 different member states.
Since its establishment in 2006, it has been used to provide assistance to 95 countries. Recipients are generally highly vulnerable populations, such as those affected by natural disaster, climatic shocks, or protracted conflict.
Almost half of the grant will be sent to the Horn of Africa. Eritrea, Somalia, and Ethiopia will see $33 million in grant aid. These countries are experiencing climatic shocks, including severe drought, and many are being displaced as a result of these events.
Furthermore, in Somalia, an estimated 1.1 million are displaced and 730,000 are in need of emergency food and nutrition assistance. The number of displaced persons is expected to rise as conflict in Yemen exacerbates; approximately 29,000 documented Somalis have returned from Yemen since mid-March.
Protracted conflict serves as the impetus for the release of funds for Chad, Sudan, and Afghanistan. Chad and Sudan have been dealing with more than thirteen years of civil war and ongoing violence. In Afghanistan, an intensifying of violence has reduced the capacity of relief operations in the country.
These relief operations are also experiencing decreased funding as conflict continues. Chad and Sudan will receive $20 million in aid and Afghanistan will receive $8 million.
Myanmar and Bangladesh will receive $8 million in aid for emergency shelters and protections for displaced persons. In Myanmar, over one million people have been displaced as a result of flooding that has impacted all but two of Myanmar’s fourteen states and over one hundred have been killed, as of August 10.
Bangladesh is also experiencing flooding that has displaced more than 27,000 people and put 145,000 hectares of crops under water.
Through the help of this emergency aid, displaced persons can receive the food, shelter, and protection necessary to survive these difficult times. The primary aim of CERF funding is to provide services to those affected by crises that are often ignored by the media.
As civil war in Africa and the Middle East continue, and flooding is almost an annual product of the monsoons in South Asia, CERF funds will remain essential, critical tools to help improve the lives of millions experiencing these “invisible” crises.
– Priscilla McCelvey
Sources: BBC, Humanitarian News, Relief Web 1, Relief Web 2, U.N. CERF, U.N. News Center, Xinhua News China
Photo: Flickr