UN launches central disaster relief fund to speed up emergency assistance

The United Nations has formally launched a $500-million fund – with over half that amount already pledged – to jump-start relief operations in future natural and man-made disasters and save thousands of lives that would otherwise be lost to delay under the current mechanism.

So far, 36 donors have pledged $256 million to the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), a key reform sought by Secretary-General Kofi Annan to ensure swifter responses to humanitarian emergencies, with adequate funds made available within three to four days as opposed to up to four months or more under current arrangements.

“We meet to launch a fund that is proactive rather than reactive. The CERF will provide a ready pool of resources that better empower the United Nations in funding immediate relief efforts in the aftermath of disasters,” Mr. Annan said at UN Headquarters in New York .

“Of course, for the international community, the CERF is not simply a fund; it is a statement of principle. It is a statement that in a world of plenty, unnecessary and avoidable suffering is inexcusable,” he said. “It is a statement that suffering anywhere is a threat to humanity everywhere.”

UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland, who will manage the Fund, also spoke at the formal launch and underlined that Member States and the general public will be able to keep track of how and where the money is being spent by means of a dedicated CERF website.

•Date: 10th March 2006• Region: World • Type: Article •Topic: DR general
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