UN sounds alarm over global humanitarian funding shortfall

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Less than 17 percent of the 46 billion U.S. dollars required to meet global humanitarian needs in 2025 has been received as of now, a UN spokesperson said Thursday.

"More than halfway through the year, the humanitarian funding landscape remains dire," Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, told a daily briefing, quoting the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The amount of funding received so far marks a 40 percent drop compared to the same time last year, said Haq.

This funding shortfall is a stark reminder that millions of vulnerable people will go hungry without the aid they desperately need, said the spokesperson.

In June, facing the deepest funding cuts ever to hit the international humanitarian system, OCHA launched a hyper-prioritized global appeal to help 114 million people by targeting the most urgent needs within the broader 2025 Global Humanitarian Overview, he said. ■