UN needs $46.4B for humanitarian aid to Ukraine and other countries

The United Nations has said it needs $46.4 billion in 2024 to help millions of people affected by humanitarian crises around the world, including in the Palestinian territories, Sudan and Ukraine.

That’s according to France24, Ukrinform reports.

The UN said the global humanitarian outlook for 2024 was "bleak", with conflicts, climate emergencies and collapsing economies "wreaking havoc" on the most vulnerable.

In the 2024 Global Humanitarian Overview, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said there would be 300 million people in need around the world next year due to conflicts, climate emergencies and economic factors.

This includes millions of people in Eastern and Southern Africa, many of whom have been affected by the crisis in Sudan, said UN aid chief Martin Griffiths.

“The five largest single-country appeals are for Syria ($4.4 billion), Ukraine ($3.1 billion), Afghanistan ($3 billion), Ethiopia ($2.9 billion) and Yemen ($2.8 billion),” the report says.

According to Reuters, Martin Griffiths described this as the "worst funding shortfall in years." He said it had been difficult to decrease the appeal for 2024 and ensure aid agencies were "realistic, focused and tough-minded" when assessing needs.

According to him, the Middle East as a whole and Gaza and West Bank will probably be the area of greatest need.

"But Ukraine is going through desperate times and a war that will restart in full swing next year. It will need a lot of attention,” he noted.

As reported by Ukrinform, at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), G7+ countries and Ukraine launched the Clean Energy Partnership, to support the sustainable recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine.