The Central Emergency response Fund (CERF) had another record year in 2013, as donors contributed US$477 million to support emergency response efforts in 45 countries.
Whether in high-profile natural disasters or forgotten emergencies, the humanitarian community once again relied on rapid and strategic CERF funding to kick-start the response and to keep life-saving programmes running.
CERF enabled UN agencies and NGOs to respond quickly to humanitarian crises including the highest-level emergencies in the Central African Republic, South Sudan and Syria. CERF was also used to boost the humanitarian response in crises that were underfunded, allocating an unprecedented $175 million to address humanitarian needs in countries including Algeria, Bangladesh and Colombia.
The strategic management of CERF continued to improve, as the CERF secretariat implemented all the recommendations contained in the management Response Plan from its five-year evaluation and further refined its Performance and accountability Framework.
I am profoundly grateful to the donors—including 68 member states, corporations, regional governments and many private individuals—who demonstrated their faith in CERF’s effectiveness and gave generously. as humanitarian needs continue to grow, with conflicts and natural disasters becoming more numerous and intense, funding needs will be substantial in 2014.
I appeal to UN member states, the private sector and individuals to support CERF generously again, so that it can continue to ensure that life-saving assistance reaches people in need, quickly and equitably.
Valerie Amos
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator
June 2014