UN increases appeal to $4.3 billion
The United Nations announced on Monday a major increase in its emergency appeal for humanitarian aid to Ukraine, estimating the need at 4.3 billion dollars between March and the end of the year.
“Financial needs have increased by 2.25 billion [estimés en avril] to 4.3 billion”, said Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, during a press briefing. The April call for donations covered the period from March to August but has been extended until the end of the year “due to the aggravation of the situation” and the onset of cold weather looming, he noted.
“More than a quarter of Ukraine’s population, 17.7 million men, women and children, will need humanitarian assistance in the coming months, about 2 million more than the estimate of ‘april “he insisted.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 11.7 million people in Ukraine benefited from humanitarian aid at least once between the end of February and the end of July. And, after five months of war, “needs continue to grow”he said in his needs assessment report released on Monday. “Millions of people across the country have endured months of intense hostilities without adequate access to food, water, healthcare, education and other essential services”he added.
Since the first emergency appeal launched by the UN, 2.38 billion dollars have already been collected, a support ” unprecedented “, commented Stéphane Dujarric. This new call for donations, which runs until December, is in principle the last. But, “during the coming winter, the situation could deteriorate further”he noted.