New York, US - The UN and its partners on Wednesday appealed for US$ 7.7 billion to provide humanitarian assistance to 51 million people in 16 countries in 2012, its largest appeal in two decades. UN Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos, who spoke at the launch of the appeal in Geneva, Switzerland, said: 'Millions of people will be affected by emergencies caused or worsened by the impact of climate change, insecurity over food and water, economic and political crises, migration, urbanization and rapid population growth.

'We urgently need the continued support of people and governments around the world to help those desperately in need,” Amos, who is also the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, said in her speech, which was made available to PANA in New York.

She noted that the appeal for 2012 was the largest launched since the creation of the Consolidated Appeal Process (CAP) in 1991.

According to her, the appeal comprises needs in Afghanistan, Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Djibouti, Haiti, Kenya, Niger, the occupied Palestinian territory, Philippines, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Yemen and Zimbabwe.

Amos stated that the appeals, with significant increases from 2011, were also for Somalia, Yemen, Djibouti, South Sudan and the Mindanao situation in the Philippines, adding that, 'Somalia requires US$ 500 million more for next year than for 2011.'

Noting that the humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa, comprising Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia, remained the largest in the world, she further disclosed that, 'four million people need urgent humanitarian aid in Somalia alone and close to 600,000 refugees have sought protection in Kenya.'

The UN official also said that humanitarian action had already had a significant impact in many regions of Somalia and three areas of the country had moved from being 'famine' areas to 'emergency'.

Amos, however, said that, 'the situation remains fragile and aid organizations will only be able to sustain these improvements if the current level of assistance is maintained.'

She also said that the US$ 2.4 billion requested in 2011 for these four countries in the region had been 78 per cent funded, saying that, 'total requirements for the Horn of Africa will be 20 per cent higher in 2012 than for 2011.'

PANA learnt that the appeal was also seeking US$ 763 million to help people in the world’s newest nation, South Sudan, US$ 718 million for DRC, US$ 455 million for Chad, US$ 437 million for Afghanistan, US$ 416 million for the occupied Palestinian territory and US$ 230 million for Haiti, among other countries.

The launch of the Consolidated Appeal marked the culmination of a process in which 466 aid organizations, including UN agencies, non-governmental organizations and other international bodies have come together to coordinate plans to meet ongoing needs in a strategic way.

Last year, the UN and its partners sought more than US$ 7.4 billion to help 50 million people suffering from the effects of conflicts and natural disasters in 28 countries.

Pana 15/12/2011