The United Nations released $160 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) on Friday to finance emergency aid operations across 12 severely underfunded global crises, as announced by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The latest allocation forms part of a broader global appeal aimed at delivering life-saving assistance to 87 million people experiencing acute humanitarian distress this year. UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher emphasized the urgency of the response, warning that financial support alone cannot resolve the compounding crises. Fletcher called on world leaders to exercise political will to dismantle operational barriers, guarantee safe corridors, and secure unhindered access for relief workers.
Crisis Recipient Breakdown and Targeted Allocations
Out of the total package, $150 million will be distributed directly among 12 recipient nations across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East:
- Primary Recipients ($18 million each): Afghanistan, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and Yemen.
- Sub-Saharan Africa Operations: Sudan ($16 million), Somalia ($16 million), South Sudan ($15 million), Burkina Faso ($10 million), Mali ($10 million), Niger ($10 million), Chad ($9 million), and Cameroon ($6 million).
- Latin America & Caribbean: Cuba ($4 million).
Five of the targeted locations—Afghanistan, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen—are among 10 priority contexts where Fletcher has requested diplomatic interventions to unlock aid access for roughly 11 million vulnerable people.
Disability Inclusion Funding and CERF Financial Status
The remaining $10 million of the release has been explicitly earmarked to address the specialized needs of persons with disabilities across all 12 designated crises, backed by complementary technical assistance from the UN Global Disability Fund.
Managed directly by OCHA, CERF's cumulative allocations for 2026 have reached $483 million across its rapid-response and underfunded-emergencies funding windows. However, humanitarian officials noted that overall contributions continue to trail far behind CERF's annual $1 billion target amid growing operational demands and global funding shortfalls.
