Finland grants EUR 17.4 million in humanitarian aid for the serious crises in Middle East and Africa

In the last humanitarian aid funding allocation of the current year, Finland has awarded with the decision by the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Lenita Toivakka a total of EUR 17.4 million to two UN organizations – The World Food Program WFP and the refugee organization UNHCR – for their work concerning long-running and underfunded crises in Middle East and Africa.

Most of the aid, a total of EUR 8.9 million, is targeted at the humanitarian needs resulting from the Syrian conflict, which has already continued for five years. A total of EUR 4.5 million is granted to the regional work conducted by the UNHCR in Syria’s neighboring countries; a sum amounting to EUR 4.4 million is awarded to the WFP, of which EUR 2 million will be channeled to meet the food requirements in Syria.

Many of the humanitarian crises in Africa have been forgotten and suffer from underfunding. In this funding allocation, Finland grants a total of EUR 8.5 million to the crises in Africa; of this amount, EUR 1.5 million is directed to Chad through the UNHCR. Chad is one of the poorest countries in the world, and the work of the UN refugee organization in the country has expanded rapidly due to the deteriorating situations in the neighboring countries.

In addition, Finland’s aid is channeled through the WFP to Somalia, the Sahel region in Western Africa and South Sudan. The situation in Somalia is deteriorating because of the threatening El Niño phenomenon, which is becoming more intense due to climate change. The situation is equally critical in the poor Sahel region, which suffers from drought. South Sudan is suffering from civil war, and 3.9 million people in the country currently suffer from a serious lack of food security.

“The need for humanitarian aid has increased this year, and, unfortunately, the trend will continue through next year. Most of the need is caused by man-made conflicts. Globally, some 60 million people have had to leave their homes. They need external aid to survive. Finland is currently providing aid to those who need it the most, and will continue to do so,” states Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Lenita Toivakka.

Largest share of Finland’s humanitarian aid this year to the Syrian crisis

The most recent decision issued on humanitarian aid raises the total amount of humanitarian aid from Finland this year to EUR 97.8 million. This year, the largest share of the aid, a total of EUR 18.9 million, has been targeted at the Syrian crisis. Other significant recipients of the aid include the crises in South Sudan (EUR 8.4 million), Somalia (EUR 7.15 million) and Yemen (EUR 6.7 million). The aid is granted from the humanitarian aid budget, which is part of Finland’s development cooperation. Last year, the humanitarian aid granted by Finland amounted to EUR 105.7 million.

On 7 December, the UN launched a general appeal with the aim of meeting the humanitarian needs of next year. It is estimated that a total of EUR 18.4 billion will be needed next year to provide aid to the 87.6 million people who are most in need. Currently, the total funding for this year’s humanitarian aid remains at slightly over EUR 9 million, which is approximately one half of what is required.

• The UN funding appeal for next year: www.humanitarianresponse.info/appeals

Additional information: Claus Jerker Lindroos, Director, Unit for Humanitarian Assistance and Policy, tel. +358 40 132 1416, and Juha Kirstilä, Special Adviser to Lenita Toivakka, tel. +358 40 552 8200.