India to contribute USD 500,000 to UN emergency response fund

India has said it will contribute USD 500,000 to the United Nations's emergency response fund for the year 2016-17 as it stressed that the international response is falling significantly short of the challenges posed by humanitarian crises across the world.

Counsellor in India's Permanent Mission to the UN Anjani Kumar said at the high-level Pledging Conference that the Government of India would be contributing USD 500,000 to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for the year 2016-17. India's cumulative contribution to the fund so far has been USD six million.

"Despite our own resource constraints, India has always been forthcoming within our ability and national circumstance in offering humanitarian assistance as per the needs and requests of our friends and partners," Kumar said.
 

Kumar added that the scale and instances of humanitarian crises around the world has been on the rise and the need for assistance to meet the challenges these crises pose has been unparalleled.

Kumar said the number of people requiring urgent humanitarian assistance worldwide has quadrupled over the past 10 years and the international humanitarian response is falling significantly short of the challenges posed.

"Addressing these needs require immediate attention. Any delay in providing assistance can have long term consequences. There is a need for coordination and partnership to meet these challenges," Kumar said.

Kumar said India has assisted in relief efforts in countries such as Afghanistan, Maldives, Nepal, Somalia, Sri Lanka and Yemen in a number of situations of natural disasters like tsunamis, earthquakes and cyclone.

CERF pools contributions from donors - mainly governments, but also, foundations, companies, charities and individuals - into a single fund with a USD 450 million annual target.

This money is set aside for immediate use at the onset of emergencies, in rapidly deteriorating situations and in protracted crises that fail to attract sufficient resources.

In an average year, CERF allocates approximately USD 450 million to humanitarian operations in some 50 different countries. Since 2006, more than USD 3.7 billion has been allocated to help millions of people in 92 countries and territories across the world.