UN has only 20 pct of humanitarian funds needed at year's halfway mark

Photo taken on Sept. 14, 2020 shows the outside view of the United Nations headquarters in New York, the United States. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

OCHA said underfunded crises include Myanmar, Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Somalia and Venezuela.

UNITED NATIONS, June 27 (Xinhua) -- UN Humanitarians reported on Tuesday that they have received only 20 percent of the 54.8 billion U.S. dollars needed to aid people globally this year.

"These funding gaps have real consequences on millions of people's food insecurity, health and protection, among others, and we encourage donors to continue to contribute generously to the humanitarian response plans," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. "With needs growing exponentially, funding is struggling to keep pace."

At the year's mid-point, the humanitarian office said 362 million people need relief, 13 million more than those needing help at the beginning of the year.

"This means that one in 22 people globally now requires assistance," OCHA said. "Unequal funding across emergencies and sectors has challenged our ability to respond to the surging needs."

The office said underfunded crises include Myanmar, Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Somalia and Venezuela.

The DRC is an example of the challenges facing OCHA.

One of the world's most complex and protracted humanitarian crises, the DRC needed 1.88 billion dollars for relief in 2022. This year the DRC needs 2.25 billion dollars to provide assistance and protection to 10 million people, said OCHA.