“A massive relief effort” CERF scales up humanitarian aid in Ukraine
CERF is a fund by all and for all, designed to quickly allocate funding to allow humanitarian organizations to scale up their operations and alleviate human suffering. The Ukraine allocations of US$60 million illustrate how CERF responds quickly to kick-start operations when crisis strikes.
On 24 February 2022, CERF disbursed US$20 million to immediately scale up life-saving humanitarian aid and protection to civilians in Ukraine following the outbreak of hostilities. This first disbursement supported emergency operations along the contact line in the eastern oblasts of Donetsk and Luhansk and other areas of the country.
On 14 March, CERF disbursed an additional $40 million to further scale up the response, helping provide critical medical items, emergency food assistance, education and mental health support services to people fleeing violence within Ukraine and into neighbouring countries.
“Faced with this grim and escalating crisis, we are mobilizing a massive relief effort,” said Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths. “These funds are critical to get operations off the ground immediately. In the early days of our response, fast and flexible funding can make all the difference.”
The money also supports activities including emergency shelter; health supplies and vaccines; and direct cash assistance to people affected inside and outside of Ukraine. The allocation directly supports the scale up of operations, including humanitarian staging areas and logistics for effective aid delivery.
A Flash Appeal for Ukraine was launched on 1 March in Geneva. It requires $1.1 billion in immediate funding to support 6 million of the most vulnerable people.
CERF funding is a much-needed starting point – but there’s much more to be done to support the major needs in Ukraine – and worldwide.
Since its establishment 16 years ago, as a fund “by all and for all,” CERF has been one of the fastest mechanisms for providing emergency funding to people in need. The UN thanks the more than 130 Member States and observers and other donors, including private individuals, who have supported the Fund through the years.
