GENEVA / CAP REVIEW

The United Nations today (17 July) appealed for a further 8.6 billion US dollars in funding to help 73 million people, bringing the total sum needed for 2013 to 12.9 million people.  CH UNTV

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:05
• Production Date: 17 July 2013
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: OFFICE FOR THE COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS - OCHA
• Subject Topical: HUMANITARIAN RELIEF; REFUGEES; DISPLACED PERSONS; DISASTER PREVENTION; DISASTER PREPAREDNESS; DISASTER RELIEF; HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE
• Geographic Subject: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO; MALI; SYRIA
• MAMS Id: U130717d

Description

STORY: GENEVA / CAP REVIEW
TRT: 2.05
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 17 JULY 2013, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / FILE

Shotlist

FILE – RECENT- GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

1. Wide shot, exterior Palais des Nations

17 JULY 2013, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

2. Wide shot, Press Room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Valerie Amos, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator:
"Halfway through the year, we know that 73 million people need humanitarian assistance. The increase is largely due to the exploding crisis in Syria but also because situations have worsened in other countries like the Central African Republic and Mali."
4. Med shot, journalist on computer
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Valerie Amos, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator:
"Halfway through the year, I am very pleased to note, that donors have generously provided 5.1 billion US dollars so far for humanitarian organizations to deliver critical aid to people in 24 countries. In a normal year, that would be a huge statement to commitment to humanitarian action, but this is an extraordinary year."
6. Med, table of journalists
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Valerie Amos, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator:
"That money that has been given to us so far has been used for example in South Sudan to provide nearly 450,000 people with safe drinking water; in Mali, nutrition agencies have been able to treat around 77,000 children suffering from life threatening or acute malnutrition; in Yemen, health organizations have managed to keep 80 percent of the health care facilities functional allowing tens of thousands of the most vulnerable people to get the health care they need."
8. Med shot, table of journalists
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Valerie Amos, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator:
"This is an extraordinary year, and extraordinary circumstances call for extraordinary measures. We need 13 billion dollars if we are to help 73 million people this year; that's an extra 8.6 billion dollars to raise by the end of the year. I have no idea how to do it. We are asking donors to make other resources available so we can bridge this funding gap. Many of our donor partners are in the midst of difficult economic circumstances themselves so we know that this will not be easy.
10. Med shot, table of journalists

Storyline

The United Nations today (17 July) appealed for a further 8.6 billion US dollars in funding to help 73 million people, bringing the total sum needed for 2013 to 12.9 million people.

The UN’s top humanitarian Valerie Amos, as she launched the mid-year review of its 2013 humanitarian appeal, said "this is an extraordinary year, and extraordinary circumstances call for extraordinary measures."

Amos told journalists in Geneva that halfway through the year, “we know that 73 million people need humanitarian assistance. The increase is largely due to the exploding crisis in Syria but also because situations have worsened in other countries like the Central African Republic and Mali."

Funding at mid-year amounts to 40 percent of requirements, with 5.1 billion dollars out of 12.9 billion raised so far.

There is a major increase in global funding requirements due to the combined 4.4 billion dollars required by the two Syria appeals.

Amos said “we need 13 billion dollars if we are to help 73 million people this year, that’s an extra 8.6 billion dollars to raise by the end of the year. I have no idea how to do it. We are asking donors to make other resources available so we can bridge this funding gap. Many of our donor partners are in the midst of difficult economic circumstances themselves so we know that this will not be easy.”

Without the Syria crisis, global requirements would now be 8.5 billion dollars. Funding, apart from that for the Syria crisis, is 3.6 billion dollars, corresponding to 42 percent of non-Syria requirements and leaving 4.9 billion in unmet requirements apart from Syria, not too different from recent mid-years.