World’s health needs require $2.54 billion in 2023 – WHO
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The UN World Health Organization will need $2.54 billion as funding in 2023 to face unprecedented health emergencies, the UN agency said on Monday.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the UN agency’s Director-General, said in an appeal that about 339 million people around the world need humanitarian assistance now.
Ghebreyesus noted the UN agency is responding to Grade 3 health emergencies in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the greater Horn of Africa, Northern Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen.
And not to mention its heavy involvement in “alleviating suffering” in Ukraine following the Russian invasion, and facing impacts of conflict, COVID-19 and climate change in Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan and northern Ethiopia.
He stressed the “unprecedented convergence of crises” including COVID-19 pandemic, cholera and pox outbreaks need “an unprecedented response.”
The UN agency’s Director-General urged donors “to be generous” and help WHO to save lives, and prevent the spread of disease within and across borders as “more people than ever before face the imminent risk of disease and starvation and need help now.”
The UN agency stressed that it is tackling 54 health crises around the world, 11 of which are classified as Grade 3, requiring the most comprehensive response.