The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
STORYLINE
United Nations humanitarian agency OCHA warned on Friday that the funding shortfall for aid operations is the biggest it’s ever been, at nearly $34 billion.
The news comes at a time when global needs are at an all-time high, with a record 303 million people in crisis worldwide. “UN appeals aim to reach 204 million of the most vulnerable. Never before have humanitarians been called to respond to this level of need and they are doing so in ever more dangerous environments,” said OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke.
UN-coordinated relief projects have been costed at almost $50 billion dollars this year.
Although funding pledges have reached their highest ever level - at more than $15 billion - needs are outpacing the money coming:
“This is the largest gap we've ever had. However, it is also the largest amount of donor funding that has ever been committed. So the problem is the following: that the needs in the world are rising much, much faster than the donor funding is coming in,” Mr. Laerke added.
According to data from the NGO Humanitarian Outcomes, with whom the UN partners every year to highlight these numbers, more than 140 aid workers were killed in the line of duty last year, the highest number of fatalities since 2013.”
All but two of the aid workers who died were national staff, highlighting the perils that national aid workers often face, said Mr. Laerke, who noted that another 203 aid workers were injured and 117 were kidnapped last year.
The OCHA spokesperson explained that “the most violent countries for aid workers continue to be South Sudan, followed by Afghanistan and Syria.” According to Humanitarian Outcomes, 168 aid workers have been attacked so far this year, leading to 44 fatalities. “Most of the over 140 fatalities in 2021 were killed by small weapons and shooting incidents, with the second highest cause of death being airstrikes and shelling, most of them in Syria,” said Mr. Laerke.
To commemorate their sacrifice, World Humanitarian Day is held annually on 19 August. This year’s theme for the Day is “It Takes A Village”, to focus on how aid workers of all nationalities work together to alleviate extreme suffering.
The UN General Assembly designated the annual event in 2008 to commemorate the anniversary of the 2003 bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq, which killed 22 aid workers. WHD has evolved to highlight different aspects of humanitarian action, mobilizing people from around the world to advocate for the broader humanitarian cause.
STORY: Humanitarian Funding Gap, OCHA
TRT: 02:22”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/NATA
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 12 AUGUST 2022 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
1. Exterior wide shot, United Nations flag flying.
2. Wide shot, press briefing.
3. Soundbite: (English) Jens Laerke, OCHA Spokesperson:
“Global needs are at an all time high with a record 303 million people in crisis worldwide. UN appeals aim to reach 204 million of the most vulnerable. Never before have humanitarians been called to respond to this level of need and they are doing so in ever more dangerous environments.”
4. Camera filming OCHA spokesperson.
5. Soundbite: (English) Jens Laerke, OCHA Spokesperson:
“More than 148 workers were killed in the line of duty last year, the highest number of fatalities since 2013. All but two of them were national staff, highlighting the perils that national aid workers often face. Last year 203 aid workers were also injured and 117 were kidnapped.”
6. Wide view of cameraman and journalists.
7. Soundbite: (English) Jens Laerke, OCHA Spokesperson:
“The most violent countries for aid workers continue to be South Sudan, followed by Afghanistan and Syria. Most of the over 140 fatalities in 2021 were killed by small weapons and shooting incidents, with the second highest cause of death being airstrikes and shelling, most of them in Syria.”
8. Close shot of panel at the press briefing.
9. Soundbite: (English) Jens Laerke, OCHA Spokesperson:
“We need $48.7 billion to join coordinated humanitarian response globally. Almost 50 billion USD. The shortfall is currently more than 33 billion. So that means that we have received 15 billion. 33 billion shortfall and 15 billion has been received.”
10. Mid shot of attendees of press briefing.
11. Soundbite: (English) Jens Laerke, OCHA Spokesperson:
“So this is the largest gap we've ever had. However, it is also the largest amount of donor funding that has ever been committed. So the problem is the following: that the needs in the world are rising much, much faster than the donor funding is coming in.”
12. Close shot of panel at the press briefing.
13. Close shot of attendees of press briefing.
14. Close of journalist.
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR , UNOG
Over 11.6 million refugees risk losing aid access due to funding cuts, says UNHCR
Approximately one in three refugees and other vulnerable individuals normally supported by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) are expected to lose out from funding cuts, it said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, made the following announcement on the Office’s opening of a new mission in Bangladesh.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
“The surge in the number of Afghans forced or compelled to return to Afghanistan this year is creating a multi-layered human rights crisis requiring the urgent attention of the international community,” UN Human Rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Friday called for accountability and justice for the killings and other gross human rights violations and abuses in the southern city of Suweida.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNHCR
Syria: hundreds killed in Sweida, ‘widespread’ violations as civilians flee for their lives
Amid violent clashes in southern Syria’s Sweida governorate, a picture of grave human rights abuses and rising humanitarian needs is emerging by the hour, the UN said on Friday.
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
At the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva the UN Human Rights Spokesperson Liz Throssell made the following statement on the latest number of civilian casualties in Ukraine.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The UN Human Rights Office on Tuesday called for investigations into hundreds of killings of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank by Israeli security forces and settlers, warning against ongoing forced mass displacement of the Palestinian population.
1
1
2
Edited News | OHCHR , UNRWA
Nearly 900 people have been killed in Gaza in recent weeks trying to fetch food, with most deaths linked to private aid hubs run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) and the UN Human Rights Office have today released a report detailing the evolution of violent gang incidents beyond the capital Port-au-Prince since October 2024 up to June 2025, and the resulting loss of life and mass displacement.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO , OHCHR
Gaza: ‘Unacceptable’ choice between getting shot or getting fed – UN humanitarians
Following the deaths of several children in an Israeli strike on Palestinians waiting in line for nutritional supplements in central Gaza on Thursday, UN humanitarians have once again condemned the killings of people at aid distribution sites in the enclave.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
At the United Nations bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva, Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights made the following comments on the recent violence in Kenya.
1
1
1
Edited News | ITC
US tariffs uncertainty hurts world economy, with poorest countries hit hardest – top UN economist
A new US decision to further delay the end of a 90-day pause on tariffs is bad for business, a top UN economist said on Tuesday.