World Refugee Day 2022: Shockingly low levels of humanitarian aid funding for displaced people around the world
Refugee and displacement crises across Venezuela and neighbouring countries, the Central Sahel, Syria, South Sudan, and Democratic Republic of Congo receive shockingly low support from the international community in the first 6 months of 2022. CARE calls on donor states not to forget these displacement crises and to increase financial aid immediately.
Geneva, June 19, 2022 – This World Refugee Day, the international aid organization CARE is highlighting the fact that financial support for millions of refugees worldwide has completely failed to materialize since the beginning of the year. African countries are particularly affected, where no or only very little support has been provided so far to cope with refugee crises.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs financial tracking system, countries such as Haiti, Burundi, the Rohingya and Syrian refugee responses and Mali as well as the Venezuela crisis regional response plan have received less than fifteen percent of the funds required to cope with humanitarian crises, including supporting those displaced in country and across borders.
Even before the recent Ukraine crisis, funding levels for humanitarian crises were worryingly low. Since the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, a number of European governments are planning to re-direct their official development assistance to support Ukrainian refugees, including in their countries, which risks leaving highly vulnerable refugee populations behind, especially in the less high profile and already underfunded displacement crises around the world.
Central Sahel + Chad: less than 15% funded despite growing crisis
Over 4.6 million people are currently displaced across Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali and Niger. Despite the large numbers and soaring needs, humanitarian response plans across all countries are only 15 per cent funded. Year on year, the Sahel region has faced a chronic lack of funding as conflict, displacement, climate change, hunger and poverty increase. At the end of 2021, Central Sahel + Chad response plans were less than 45 per cent funded. This is the lowest amount of funding received in the last 6 years, despite rising needs.
“On June 1st, the Government of Chad issued a decree declaring a food emergency, with 4 million people who need food assistance,” says Huguette Sekpe, CARE’s program director in Chad. “The humanitarian situation is dramatic and worsens day by day. Water, food, medicine, shelter and protection – everything is needed. Without sufficient funding, it is simply not possible for us as an aid organisation to provide the people in Chad with the help they need, even though we have a strong team of aid workers there. We hope that the international donor countries will quickly increase their contributions.”
Syria: Funding cuts affect three million people
Regional refugee assistance to the Syria crisis has currently received only 10.8 per cent of the required funding – too little given the devastating humanitarian situation. According to the NGO Forum Northwest Syria, of which CARE is a member, aid organizations in northwest Syria are experiencing massive cuts of $21.5 million per month this year compared to last year. If more funds are not made available soon, devastating consequences loom: For example, it is feared that more than three million people are at risk of losing vital support.
How CARE helps: CARE works in more than 100 countries and is committed to promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls in crises. In Syria and neighboring countries, CARE is helping with vital supplies such as food and hygiene items, cash, psychosocial support, sexual reproductive health, and gender-based violence services and supporting women economically. In Chad and across the Central Sahel, CARE is helping refugee and displaced families with food and nutrition support, cash for work as well as water, sanitation, hygiene support and livelihoods assistance, and supporting women to become more financially independent through small savings groups.
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Media RelationsCARE Canada
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About CARE Canada:
Founded in 1945 with the creation of the CARE Package®, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization working around the globe to save lives, defeat poverty, and achieve social justice. CARE puts women and girls at the centre of our work because we know we cannot overcome poverty until all people have equal rights and opportunities. CARE develops solutions alongside women and girls to lift themselves, their families, and communities out of poverty and out of crisis. CARE works in over 100 countries around the world.
To learn more about CARE Canada, visit www.care.ca.