Photo credit: Economic Times
The UN’s emergency relief chief on Wednesday condemned the “$$1 billion-a-day” cost of the war in the Middle East, at a time when humanitarian needs are soaring, and aid funding is falling dangerously short.
“We’re seeing the consequences spread faster than we can respond”, warned the UN emergency relief chief, Tom Fletcher, as violence reverberates across borders, causing mass displacement and economic shocks.
While speaking to reporters in Geneva, the UN’s top humanitarian aid official said, “this is a moment of grave peril” and warned that without additional support “millions of people will die.”
The $23 billion appeal announced last December by the UN aid coordinator to help 87 million of the world’s most vulnerable people remains around two-thirds underfunded.
Although the number of people in need of assistance globally far exceeds 87 million identified, Mr. Fletcer 4xplained that tthese were the people “in greatest need”.
“We still need over $14 billion now to deliver this plan, and this is at a time when conflict in the Middle East is osting $1 billion a day,” he said. “Even just $1 billion would allow us to save millions of lives.”
Noting the urgent need to adapt humanitarian relief as crises intensify around the world, Mr Fletcher added that Gaza and Sudan are “at the very top of that list” in terms of funding needs.
