The Philippine government has pledged $200,000 (approximately P11.1 million) for the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) in 2023, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Tuesday.
The announcement was made by Permanent Representative to the United Nations Antonio Lagdameo at the CERF High-Level Pledging Event (HLPE) for 2023 on December 9.
The event, led by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA), aimed to mobilize financial resources to ensure that CERF is well-positioned as one of the most effective financing tools to provide time-critical, life-saving humanitarian assistance.
“Our pledge is an indication of our commitment to humanitarian action and of our responsible membership in the community of nations,” Lagdameo said. “Being one of the world’s most at-risk countries, the Philippines invests in disaster preparedness and early warning systems at national and local levels, through strong engagement with international humanitarian organizations, civil society, and the private sector.”
He encouraged other developing countries to support the UN OCHA and contribute to CERF.
CERF is one of the most effective and fastest mechanisms available to UN agencies and their partners in countries affected by emergencies.
In 2022, CERF played a pivotal role in meeting the ever-rising humanitarian needs of people caught up in crises.
As of November, it allocated more than $700 million to support millions of people in need of urgent assistance in about 40 countries, the second-highest amount released from CERF after the record-breaking 2020 when $848 million was disbursed.
When Super Typhoon Odette (international name Rai) pummeled coastal communities in the Philippines in December 2021, CERF allocated $12 million to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance to the most affected people, the DFA said.