UN appeals for 1.3 billion in humanitarian aid

United Nations Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Sergio Vieira de Mello appealed yesterday for US $1.3 billion in humanitarian aid for countries in crisis, the world body said. The appeal is for 13 countries, among them Guinea Bissau and Sierra Leone. The appeal for 1999, on behalf of UN agencies and programmes, was the first made on a single occasion by the UN in its annual humanitarian programme. The UN said this arrangement “reflected enhanced efforts in accordance with the Secretary-General’s reform programme to have a more coherent approach in dealing with humanitarian crises”. De Mello, who is also the Emergency Relief Coordinator, said by rationalising the consolidated appeals process the UN had reduced its relief aid requirements from $2.2 billion for 1998. He said the challenges to providing humanitariasn aid were enormous, ranging from safety problems to the need for a high level of coordination among humanitarian partners, within and outside the UN system.