Not many people who need help “has been so high,” said Martin Griffiths, the Deputy Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs of the UN.
Le Monde with AFP
In a world affected by Covid-19, conflicts and climate change will require the United Nations at least 41 billion dollars in 2022 to rescue 183 million people among the most vulnerable, the Office has estimated coordination of humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Thursday, December 2, at its annual assessment. But in total, 274 million people are expected to need emergency aid next year – a jump of 15% compared to 2021 record already. This represents one in 29 in the world.
Never the number of individuals who need help “has been so high,” said Martin Griffiths, the Deputy Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs of the UN. According to him, provide assistance to as many people “can not last, and yet it has to last.” Where 41 billion will be needed next year to help the most vulnerable people across 63 countries, it had 35 billion this year and half ago four years.
The great Thursday appeared OCHA Annual Report provides a long catalog of this misery, with Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Burma among the most affected countries. In cases, climate change is well positioned with pandemic Covid-19, which will come early next year in its third year and already has more than 5 million deaths officially, probably two to three times according to WHO.
“2022 could prove catastrophic”
The 19-Covid threw 20 million people into extreme poverty during the past year, the report said. He also plunged many health systems into chaos, with a deleterious effect on the fight against other scourges such as HIV, tuberculosis or malaria. This year, 23 million children could not receive basic vaccines.
At the same time, global warming and its attendant disasters could force 216 million people become refugees in their own country by 2050. It is still the climate change that makes famine ” also a real possibility that terrifying for 45 million people in 43 countries, “warns the report. “Without a sustainable and immediate action, 2022 could be catastrophic” in a world where 811 million people are already malnourished, says the text.
Afghanistan, meanwhile, combines decades of conflict with a terrible drought and an economy in free fall since the Taliban came to power in August. two thirds of the population need help, and 9 million people are on the brink of starvation. The UN needs $ 4.5 billion to 22 million Afghans next year.
Ethiopia in the situation “most worrying”
Yemen and Syria, where the war lasts for years, so they need help, but Ethiopia needs are particularly acute since the offensive launched by Addis Ababa against Tigre. This brutal war that has lasted more than a year, has caused the displacement of millions of people. According to the OCHA report, 26 million people rely on humanitarian aid in this country of the Horn of Africa and 400 000 there are fast slipping into famine.
Martin Griffiths, Ethiopia has possibly the “most worrying situation,” although he is quick to add there exist many other extremely serious situations around the world. But he also wanted to highlight the achievements of the humanitarian aid, which limits the disaster.
Last year, OCHA has provided assistance to 107 million people, 70% of those that the organization wanted to achieve, including half a million South Sudanese residents rescued from famine.