Eight underfunded emergencies are set to receive a funding boost from the United Nations.
On Thursday (Aug. 9), U.N. emergency relief coordinator Valerie Amos allocated $55 million to Afghanistan, Cameroon, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Sri Lanka and Sudan. The money will come from the U.N.’s Central Emergency Response Fund, which provides grants to rapid response and underfunded emergencies.
Four countries with a consolidated appeal in 2012 have been chosen for funding: Afghanistan, Congo, Sri Lanka and Sudan are set to receive $10 million, $12 million, $2 million and $14 million. Cameroon, Colombia, Ethiopia and Madagascar, which do not have a consolidated appeal, will receive $2 million, $3 million, $10 million and $2 million.
Countries that received funding in the fund’s first grant round were excluded. The money will help provide food, water and other services for people in need in the selected countries, including refugees.
Amos hopes the funding will serve to “draw” the world’s attention to the situation of people in the chosen countries, as “millions more people are still in need,” according to a press release.
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