On 7 February, a total allocation of US$ 85 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) was made to underfunded emergency response programmes in 15 countries around the world. Out of this contribution, US$ 64.6 million or 76 per cent has been allocated to life-saving initiatives in seven countries in Central and East Africa (Burundi, Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan).
The allocation is the first of two grant decisions for 2007 from the CERF’s window for under-funded emergencies and is the third of its kind since March 2006. This provision within the CERF aims to help redress imbalances in the global distribution of aid. For instance, of the inter-agency appeals launched in 2006 for emergency response in the region – specifically in Burundi, CAR, DRC, Somalia, and Sudan - funding received as a proportion of total requirements averaged 54 per cent. This was well below the global average of 70 per cent.
Overall, the allocations represent a small percentage of the total resources needed to respond to crises in each of these countries. However, the purpose is to provide an injection of funds into under-resourced projects to ensure an all-inclusive response that addresses all categories of need.
In some instances specific sectors are targeted within the overall response, particularly where under-funding in one area has undermined the overall provision of life saving assistance. For example, in the case of Somalia, the US$ 1 million allocation has been directed to security in order to increase access and facilitate the implementation of humanitarian response activities.
In Burundi, the allocation will target urgent needs that arose from destroyed harvests and low production that were a consequence of torrential rainfall in late 2006 and early 2007. The food security impact of the Cassava Mosaic disease will also be addressed as will the costs to integrate Burundians expelled from Tanzania.
In the case of DRC,the allocation will concentrate on the following sectors: Food, Protection/Human Rights/Rule of Law, Health, Coordination and Support Services, Multi-Sector (Refugees), Education, Health, Shelter and Non-Food Items, and Water and Sanitation. Sudan’s allocation will go towards the education, health & nutrition and water & sanitation sectors. In CAR the allocation will target health, water & sanitation, and food sectors.
In 2006, 10 countries in the Central and East Africa Region (Burundi, CAR, DRC, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Somalia,and Republic of Congo) received a total of US$ 165 million through the CERF to undertake life saving activities in food aid, agriculture, coordination, water and sanitation, protection, and multi-sector assistance.