translated from Spanish: UN estimates twice as much money in emergency aid needed by 2021

The United Nations (UN) reported that $35 billion would be needed for emergency aid by 2021, almost double that of last year, largely because of the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, which, among other variables, left tens of thousands of people in poverty. The organization’s annual Global Humanitarian Overview report estimated that 235 million people worldwide will need some form of emergency assistance next year, an increase of 40% over 2020.The annual call from UN agencies and other humanitarian organizations generally presents a grim scenario of conflict-related needs. , displacement, natural disasters and climate change.

The money required would be enough to help 160 million of the most vulnerable people in 57 countries, it was reported. In this picture, it highlights that for the first time since the 1990s, extreme poverty will increase, life expectancy will decline, and the number of annual deaths from HIV, tuberculosis and malaria could double. By the end of this year, the number of people with acute food insecurity worldwide could reach 270 million, an increase of 82% from the pre-coronavirus pandemic. The situation in Yemen, Burkina Faso, South Sudan and northeastern Nigeria indicates that these countries are already on the brink of famine, while a list of other countries and regions, including Afghanistan, are also potentially very vulnerable.

The call for this report gives an account of the war-torn state of state in Syria and Yemen, leading the list of countries most in need of humanitarian aid. The UN is looking for nearly $6 billion to help millions of Syrians in and out of the country, ravaged by a decade of conflict. It also requests nearly $3.5 billion for 20 million Yemenis caught up in the worst humanitarian crisis on the planet. Raising all of the $35 billion needed in the midst of a global economic crisis could be an arduous task: the amount doubles the $17 billion raised so far this year.

Original source in Spanish