New York [US], December 11: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday urged the international community to step up support for the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), describing it as a "global emergency lifeline" that has proven its ability to deliver fast, flexible and equitable assistance in the most challenging crises.
The high-level pledging event was held a day after the UN launched its 2026 global humanitarian appeal, which calls for $23 billion to reach 87 million people in the most desperate need across 50 countries.
Since 2006, the CERF has allocated nearly $10 billion in more than 110 countries through rapid and strategic financing that often arrives before other sources of support, saving countless lives in the process.
But with humanitarian needs rising as crises multiply, Guterres warned that the "tank is running on empty - with millions of lives hanging in the balance," and urged member states to meet the US$1 billion target.
"In creating CERF 20 years ago, the international community made a simple promise: when disaster strikes, help will come," he said. "Today, I ask you to renew that promise."
He noted that in 2025 donor contributions fell sharply and said that this year's projected contributions are expected to be the lowest since 2015 -"a dangerous trend that weakens our ability to respond". As a result, countless more people have died, others have gone hungry, or been left without health services, shelter and protection.
UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher echoed the warning, saying, "It's not just a funding gap; it's an operational emergency. And if the CERF falters, then the world's emergency service will falter, and the people who rely on us will suffer."
He stressed that early CERF interventions strengthen community resilience before disasters strike.
Fletcher added that the coming years require a more innovative humanitarian approach, calling for new ways of working that deliver aid faster, empower local partners and make the relief system more inclusive.
Any setback in CERF's performance, he warned, would directly weaken the world's ability to respond at critical moments and put millions of lives at risk.
Source: Emirates News Agency
