CERF: Italy pledges continuous support, “non only necessary, it’s vital”

NEW YORK, 8 DICEMBRE – “Italy’s support to the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) of the United Nations has been continuously increasing over the last years. This year we have devoted a record amount of 11 million euro and I am pleased to inform you that we will contribute with a 4 million euro top-up before the end of the year, in order to replenish the Fund for its support to Afghanistan”, the Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Marina Sereni said today at the CERF High Level Pledging Event for 2022.

Marking CERF’s 15th anniversary, the event aimed to galvanize commitments to continue to meet increasingly complex levels of humanitarian needs. It also offered an opportunity for the humanitarian community to increase funding towards the $1 billion annual target, said Humanitarian Affairs chief Martin Griffiths, speaking on behalf of the Secretary-General. Last year the Fund helped close to 69 million people – twice as many as the year before – many of whom were reeling from the coronavirus pandemic.

As far as next year is concerned, Italy will contribute with 10 million euro, of which other 4 million euro in order to replenish the Fund for its continuous support to Afghanistan, said Sereni. “Moreover, we intend to provide additional funding – of the order of 5 million euro – during the year for specific regional crises and we will pledge it formally in due time”, she added.

Sereni explained the reason for Italy’s consistent support: “The humanitarian community is confronted with rising needs and vulnerabilities all over the world, especially in emergency contexts where the crises are every day more protracted and severe. Fragile people continue to bear the brunt of man-made and natural disasters and, as international donors, we struggle to keep pace with the mounting humanitarian funding gap. That is why, investing in effective tools such as the Central Emergency Response Fund becomes not only necessary, but also vital”.

CERF – she said – has provided lifesaving assistance to millions of people worldwide, by allocating resources to humanitarian partners on the frontline, to whom we show the greatest gratitude. Its role is vital in providing timely financial support as demonstrated by the allocations in response to the deteriorating humanitarian contexts in Afghanistan and Ethiopia, for instance. The Fund plays a unique role also with regard to anticipatory action, which allows the humanitarian workers to act before the onset of a predictable shock: “This makes the response faster, dignified and cheaper”, she said.