UN sec gen receives report on solutions to humanitarian financing

The UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, has received the report of the High-Level Panel on Humanitarian Financing on finding solutions to the growing gap between the increasing numbers of people in need of assistance and sufficient resources to provide relief.

This is contained in a statement issued on Sunday in New York and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Receiving the report titled ``Too important to fail, addressing the humanitarian financing gap” in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Ban met with the panellists to thank them for their work and to discuss their recommendations to tackle the estimated 15 billion dollars shortfall in funding.

``In May last year I asked the panel to identify ways in which the gap between rising needs and the resources available to meet them can be closed.

``I also requested them to work on generating solutions around the issues of more timely and predictable funding, as well as ways in which resources can be used more effectively.

``Since they began their work the needs created by the demand for humanitarian aid had continued to rise dramatically.

``We are living in the age of the mega-crises. But, as this report clearly demonstrates, the gap in funding is a solvable problem.

``As the report’s title indicates, we simply cannot fail. We need fresh thinking and the determination to take bold decisions.

``I believe the panel has seized this opportunity and delivered.

``I want to thank them for this important contribution to shaping the priorities for the World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) in Istanbul in May," the statement quoted Ban as saying.

NAN reports that the report focuses on three areas to address the funding gap: shrinking the needs, growing the resource base for funding and improving efficiency through a Grand Bargain between key humanitarian partners.

Among its recommendations are reclassifications of the eligibility criteria of the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), so that funding follows people in need and not countries.

Others are tripling the IDA’s Crisis Response Window and expand funding capacity for emergencies in other development finance institutions.

The panel also recommended that Governments should voluntarily sign up to a ``solidarity levy” mechanism at the WHS to fund humanitarian aid, channel Islamic social finance and other instruments to humanitarian causes.

The UN says there are no fewer than 125 million people in need and a record 25 billion dollars a year, is needed to aid them.

The High-Level Panel is co-chaired by Kristalina Georgieva, Vice- President of the European Commission, (Bulgaria), and Sultan Nazrin Shah, Ruler of Perak (Malaysia).

The other panel members are Hadeel Ibrahim (United Kingdom), Executive Director of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation; and Badr Jafar (United Arab Emirates).