CAIRO: The United Nations has welcomed an increase in funding by the Kuwaiti government for the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). The UN reported that Kuwait will increase its annual contribution from $50,000 to $300,000 beginning next year. The Fund is designed to rapidly release money to life-saving humanitarian work in disasters around the world. This six-fold increase will provide sustained and predictable support to the most urgent response to human suffering during sudden-onset disasters and in under-funded humanitarian emergencies, the United Nations reported. The CERF is administered by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). “This generous decision of the State of Kuwait to increase its annual contribution to the CERF mechanism is extremely welcome,” said the Director of OCHA in Geneva, Rashid Khalikov. “We thank the Government and the people of Kuwait for this recognition of the CERF as an important instrument to provide time-critical help to the unfortunate people who suffer the consequences of humanitarian disasters. This contribution reflects Kuwait's commitment to humanitarian assistance around the world and will further enhance the capacity of the UN to respond quickly in times of disaster,” Khalikov added. Kuwait's increased support comes after their recent $1.25 million contribution, recorded by the UN, to humanitarian organizations, including to United Nations agencies to the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti in January. Since its inception in 2006, CERF has committed $1.7 billion to relief agencies working in 78 countries and territories affected by disasters. Some 120 countries, together with other public and private donors, have contributed nearly $2 billion to the Fund. In the first half of 2010 alone, $245 million was allocated for rapid response and under-funded emergencies in 37 countries. BM
