United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday appealed to donors to fund the world body"s emergency fund so that natural disasters and other sudden-onset crisis can be responded to in a timely manner. The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) was established in 2006 to provide rapid funding at the onset of humanitarian disasters such as earthquakes, and to bridge the gap for other under-funded humanitarian appeals. "CERF is quick, CERF is efficient, CERF saves lives," Ban told the fund"s annual pledging conference, warning that the effects of climate change are compounding emergency needs. "This year alone U.N. humanitarian teams in more than 45 countries have used some $340 million in CERF funding to help millions of people in need." He also noted that global warming is already affecting millions of people every year, through more frequent, intense, and non-seasonal floods, storms and droughts. But, those who suffer most are the poorest and most vulnerable in risk-prone countries, he said. "We do not know exactly how, in the coming year, the effects of climate change will mix with the demographic shifts and the global economic slowdown to create emergency needs," Ban said. "Nor do we know precisely where conflict may erupt or where storms may hit, threatening to undo decades of development." --SPA
