UN calls for £42.4 trillion in emergency aid as 339 million people struggle to survive worldwide

The global body’s humanitarian office has asked member states to donate 25% more than it asked for this year, saying the number of people in crisis had risen by 65 million in 69 countries.

“Humanitarian needs are shockingly high as extreme events this year carry into 2023,” said UN emergency relief coordinator Martin Griffiths. He cited droughts in the Horn of Africa, floods in Pakistan and Russia’s attack on Ukraine, which pushed the number of displaced people worldwide to more than 100 million.

“All of this on top of the devastation the pandemic has left among the world’s poorest,” Mr Griffiths said.

“For people on the brink, this call is a lifeline. For the international community, it is a strategy to honor the commitment to leave no one behind.

The UN’s annual Global Humanitarian Overview assesses the funding needed by the global body and non-governmental organizations. Current funding from member states is less than half of what is needed, the UN said.

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