The UK government has pledged £40m to help alleviate an estimated £64m shortfall in the UN’s disaster fund helping to bolster emergency aid following a year which saw a reported 263 million people devastated by natural disasters.
Experts at the World Food Programme have reported that the number of people affected by climate-related disasters alone, not taking into account other natural disasters such as earthquakes, could increase to 375 million by 2015.
In mid-December the UN General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon called for international support to help reach the target of $450m for its 2011 Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), which then stood at $358m.
The £40m fund issued by the UK's Department for International Development will be added to the CERF, which has seen more than $2bn in its five years of existence, to “strengthen international efforts” on aiding those affected by disaster. The CERF is used as an immediate response fund following natural disasters to provide shelter, clean water, health services and food to those affected.
The UK is the largest donor to the fund topping ten countries donating 90 percent of monies to the fund.
Further £19m donated
In addition, the UK government has also pledged a further £19m will go to the UN Humanitarian Commissioner for Refugees which also faces a “significant shortfall in its 2010 budget”.
Announcing the support Andrew Mitchell, International Development Secretary, said: "2010 will be remembered as a dreadful year for humanitarian disasters. Even in difficult economic times, Britain can be proud that it stood by people in their hour of need.
"Sadly, the scale and intensity of disasters is predicted to increase.
"We must restock and replenish our response to emerging disasters and make sure the system is fit for purpose. The UN has a central role to play in this but a lack of support for its disaster fund threatens to undermine its ability to deal with future shocks.”
The news, announced over Christmas, comes ahead of World Hunger Day which will take place on Sunday 9 January.
