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‘World on fire’

UN seeks $47b for aid in 2025
AFP, Geneva
The UN yesterday appealed for more than $47 billion to deliver vital aid next year in a world ravaged by surging conflicts and the climate crisis, but warned many in need would not be reached.
“The world is on fire,” the United Nations’ new humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told reporters in Geneva, acknowledging he was looking ahead to 2025 with “dread”.
With brutal conflicts spiralling in places like Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine, and as climate change and extreme weather take an ever-heavier toll, the UN estimated that 305 million people globally will need some form of emergency assistance next year.
“We are dealing with a poly-crisis right now globally, and it is the most vulnerable people in the world who are paying the price,” Fletcher said, warning that swelling inequality combined with the convergence of conflict and climate change had created a “perfect storm” of needs.
Launching the Global Humanitarian Overview, Fletcher acknowledged that the UN and its partners would not be able to reach all of those in need.
The annual appeal by UN agencies and partner humanitarian organisations is seeking $47.4 billion for 2025 -- slightly less than the appeal for this year -- which it said was enough to provide assistance to the 189.5 million most vulnerable people.
“There’s 115 million that we won’t be able to reach” with this plan, Fletcher acknowledged.
Pointing to significant “donor fatigue” hitting humanitarian operations, he stressed the need for a “realistic” plan, which required prioritisation and making “really tough, tough choices”.
“We’ve got to be absolutely focused on reaching those in the most dire need, and really ruthless.”
As of last month, only 43 percent of the $50 billion appeal for this year had been met.
Underfunding this year has seen an 80-percent reduction in food assistance in Syria, cuts to protection services in Myanmar, and diminished water and sanitation aid in cholera-prone Yemen, the UN said.
Camilla Waszink of the Norwegian Refugee Council described the appeal’s acknowledgement that millions would not be reached as “devastating”.
“When the richest people on Earth can go to space as a tourist and trillions of US dollars are used annually on global military expenditure, it is incomprehensible that we as an international community are unable to find the necessary funding to provide displaced families with shelter and prevent children from dying of hunger,” she said.
Even more than funding woes, Fletcher said the biggest barrier to assisting and protecting people in armed conflict was the widespread violation of international law.
This year has already been the deadliest for humanitarian workers, surpassing the 2023 toll of 280 killed.