Humanitarian and special economic assistance

In 2014, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (ocha) responded to humanitarian challenges due to natural disasters and conflicts. Crises in the Central African Republic, Iraq, the Philippines, South Sudan and Syria were classified as level-three emergencies requiring immediate scale-up. Besides the Ebola virus disease outbreak in West Africa where ocha assisted with coordination in health, food security and sanitation and protection, elsewhere in the world ocha assisted at least 52 million people with material assistance worth $12.9 billion. At year’s end, however, the number of people in need increased to 76 million and the requirement went up to $18.05 billion. Despite donors providing record levels of funding, by December, the United Nations and its humanitarian partners had received 61 per cent or $11 billion in funding. During the year, the number of people displaced internally or fleeing as refugees exceeded 50 million—the highest since 1945.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions