Humanitarian and special economic assistance

In 2010, devastating natural disasters, the crippling impact of the world financial and economic crisis on the most vulnerable countries, and continuing conflict situations in many parts of the world resulted in large-scale humanitarian crises. Some 385 disasters took the lives of over 297,000 people and affected 217 million others, causing an estimated $124 billion in economic damages. The United Nations, through the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), mobilized and coordinated humanitarian assistance to respond to those international emergencies, launching consolidated and flash appeals for Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guatemala, Haiti, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Pakistan, Somalia, the Sudan, Uganda, West Africa, Yemen and Zimbabwe. OCHA received contributions for natural disaster assistance totalling $6.4 billion. The Central Emergency Response Fund continued to ensure the rapid provision of assistance to populations affected by sudden-onset disasters and underfunded emergencies.

Related Subject(s): United Nations