UN launches 2001 funding appeals

The UN inter-agency Consolidated Appeal for $229 million in assistance for Afghanistan in the year 2001 represented the third largest among 16 appeals for complex emergency situations announced by the UN on Wednesday. Launching the appeal in Islamabad, Ruedi Hager of the Swiss Development Corporation and chairperson of the Afghanistan Support Group, referred to Afghanistan as probably the most dependent country on external aid. Despite the UN appeal for 2000 being only half-funded, which had severely affected food distribution and mine clearance programmes, Hager said he was certain the donor community would continue to support Afghanistan. Acting UN Coordinator for Afghanistan Mike Sackett said the World Food Programme (WFP) currently had enough food stocks to last three to four months, but that funding was badly needed because it would take up to five months from the time donors made pledges to the time food arrived in the country and was distributed. The Consolidated Appeal for neighbouring Tajikistan asked donors for funding of $82 million to meet core humanitarian and rehabilitation programmes following the 1992-1997 civil war, and for critical drought relief programmes. This year, the UN appeal sought $34.8 million for Tajikistan sought $34.8 million, though financial requirements more than tripled in September to cope with humanitarian needs resulting from the continuing Central Asian drought. As a result, the UN launched a donor alert for the drought in Tajikistan, seeking an additional $76.6 million, to bring the total sought for the year to $111.4 million. By October, the donor community had contributed half of the total requested.