Five years ago, on 15 December 2005, the General Assembly established the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), a humanitarian fund with a grant component of up to US$450 million and a loan component of $50 million.
CERF provides funds rapidly so that UN humanitarian Agencies can jump-start critical operations and lifesaving programmes not yet funded through other sources.
CERF is funded by voluntary contributions by Member States and Observers, corporations, individuals and private organizations. Since March 2006, CERF has received pledges and contributions of nearly $2 billion.
CERF ALLOCATIONS
- Since 2006, CERF has committed more than $1.8 billion in rapid response and grants to 78 countries and the occupied Palestinian territory.
- In 2010, CERF has allocated over $406 million to agencies working in 45 countries.
- CERF played a key role in the two major emergencies in Haiti and Pakistan in 2010.
- In Haiti, CERF was the first to respond with a grant for $25 million.
- In Pakistan, CERF has given over $50 million, including $40 million to the flood response.
- In 2010, 65 per cent of funding has gone towards natural disaster response.
- In 2009, 63 per cent of funding went to conflict related emergencies.
- In the Sahel region, some 10 million people are affected by severe food crisis that has been exacerbated by floods. For 2010, in the Sahel, $58 million in CERF funding has helped to try to avert a major humanitarian catastrophe.
- Since 2006, Sub-Saharan Africa has received the largest amount of CERF funding. The top five recipients, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia, account for approximately onethird of all CERF allocations.