NEW YORK, Aug 16 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- The UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) allocated US$214 million in the first half of this year to support people in two dozen countries, including drought relief in Afghanistan and climate resilience initiatives elsewhere, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Friday, reported Xinhua.
Over the last 19 years, CERF channelled over US$9 billion in life-saving aid to people in need across over 110 countries and territories, supported by contributions from 143 out of 193 UN member states, along with observers and other donors, Dujarric said at a daily briefing.
The UN secretary-general has appointed 12 new experts to the group that advises him on the distribution of the CERF funds, the spokesman said.
CERF has a total of 23 members from all over the world who serve a single three-year term, and the new set of advisers hail from Azerbaijan, Canada, Cote d'Ivoire, Denmark, Gambia, Germany, the Netherlands, Niger, Norway, Qatar, South Africa and Sweden.
UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher thanked the outgoing members and welcomed the new appointees, emphasising that as humanitarian needs continue to surpass available resources, CERF’s role is more vital than ever as a trusted and indispensable fund.
Established by the UN General Assembly in 2005, CERF enables the delivery of swift and effective crisis response worldwide.
--BERNAMA-XINHUA
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