UN agencies, NGOs need $3.4 bn for global crises

According to an estimate, the United Nations, the International Organisation for Migration and 239 NGOs need an extra $3.4 billion to respond to the world's most severe crises for the rest of the year.     

However, with the major donors facing downturn in their own economies, analysts were not very optimistic of the target being reached.     

"Rapid action by donors is more essential this year than ever," John Holmes, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said.     

"Higher food and fuel costs, an increasing number of food-insecure people, and the impact of climate change have already forced the upwards revision of several appeals or the issuance of new flash appeals," he stressed.     

Overall humanitarian funding requirements for 2008 for the 34 countries covered by this year's appeals have risen from $5.4 billion at the start of the year to $6.5 billion now.     

Funding for the world's food needs was re-budgeted to $2.6 billion from $1.9 billion after the UN World Food Programme (WFP) increased its appeal for this year's operations.     

So far donors have given $2.6 billion towards humanitarian appeals, or equal to 46 per cent of funding requirements, which represents an improvement over mid-year levels in the past two years.