Haiti Earthquake: International Funding Still Short

The UN Office of the Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) just released the latest update on the flash funding appeal for Haiti.  If you’ll recall, one week after the earthquake the UN launched and emergency flash appeal for $577 million.  Just about one month later, the appeal is nearly fully funded–it is only 4%, or $25 million, short. As you can see from the chart below, much of the shortfall is in the “food” cluster, which would suggest that pledges have yet to filled for the World Food Program.  And remember: the WFP, much like the other humanitarian agencies in the UN Family (like UNICEF and the UN Refugee Agency) are mostly funded through voluntary contributions from member states.  That means that each year, these agencies must launch annual appeals to keep up their work.  When a large disaster like the Haiti earthquake strikes, it taxes an already cash-strapped system for dealing with humanitarian emergencies. 

Here’s the funding chart: Ha It if Und Ing

Image: Flickr (UNDP Photo of a the “Cash-for-Work” program.)