Yesterday, the World Health Organization issued a call for $1.5 billion to respond to the healthcare needs of millions of people affected by dozens of humanitarian crises worldwide.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, stated, “Our goal is to deliver life-saving humanitarian assistance to approximately 87 million people this year.”
He added, “To do this, we need a total support of $1.5 billion, and we need this funding to be available as soon as possible and with the utmost flexibility… A reactive approach is not sufficient.”
The United Nations agency estimates that about 300 million people globally will need humanitarian aid and protection this year.
Tedros pointed out that an estimated 166 million out of these 300 million people will require health assistance this year, including those in the occupied Palestinian territories, Ukraine, Haiti, and Sudan.
“With the start of 2024, the World Health Organization has responded to 41 health crises, of which 15 are among the most severe,” he continued.
He highlighted that people living in such crises are facing a painful start to the new year after 2023, which itself was a year of tremendous suffering that could have been avoided.
He also noted, “One in every five children worldwide lived in or fled from conflict regions in 2023,” listing crises including wars in Ukraine, Sudan, and Gaza.
Highest Temperatures
Tedros reiterated the worsening climate crisis, particularly in 2023, which saw the highest temperatures ever recorded, approaching for the first time over a full year the threshold set in the Paris Agreement of 1.5 degrees Celsius for climate warming.
He warned of “severe health impacts” resulting from this, starting from the “catastrophic hunger” caused by drought in the Horn of Africa, to the spread of deadly diseases due to changing climate patterns.
In 2023, funding appeals to provide health assistance in various locations received on average only 12% of the required funds, according to Tedros.
He expressed, “The situation is dire and avoidable. Therefore, we must act in 2024.”
