Vietnam highly appreciates the timely support of the Central Emergency Relief Fund and will continue to stand alongside it in the spirit of solidarity and shared responsibility.

On December 9th, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) held a high-level event on commitment to the Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) at UN headquarters in New York, USA.

Ambassador Do Hung Viet, Head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the United Nations, delivered a speech at the session.

The event was attended by the United Nations Secretary-General, along with representatives from member states and international humanitarian partners.

In his opening remarks, UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized that CERF has been playing a “front-line role in the UN humanitarian system,” providing emergency relief to people in areas experiencing protracted conflicts, crises, and extreme natural disasters; and called on the international community to strengthen its commitment and shared responsibility to ensure CERF maintains its rapid response capacity.

Deputy Secretary-General for Humanitarian Coordination Tom Fletcher appreciated the valuable contributions from member countries; stating that at the time of the event, CERF had received over $300 million in commitments from approximately 40 countries and hoped that the total commitments this year would surpass the $351 million mark of 2024, moving closer to the $1 billion target.

Representatives from various countries expressed deep concern over the unprecedented increase in aid needs while resources are becoming increasingly limited. Many countries stressed the need to maintain a strong, flexible, and well-funded CERF Fund to effectively respond to emergencies.

Several countries have announced new levels of commitment to CERF, demonstrating their determination to work alongside the United Nations to protect people in the most vulnerable areas.

Speaking at the session, Ambassador Do Hung Viet, Head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the United Nations, shared that for two consecutive years, in the face of severe natural disasters, from Typhoon Yagi to the successive storms and floods this year, Vietnam has received emergency assistance from CERF, including the newly announced $2.6 million, which has helped to promptly deploy essential relief activities for people in affected areas.

On this occasion, the Ambassador extended his sincere thanks to CERF, United Nations agencies, and donor countries for their timely and effective support to Vietnam.

Sharing about Vietnam's humanitarian contributions and support through bilateral and multilateral channels, including its annual commitment to CERF, Ambassador Do Hung Viet affirmed that Vietnam will continue to stand alongside CERF in the spirit of solidarity and shared responsibility, and will continue to strive to contribute further when conditions permit, in accordance with its capabilities, to help CERF continue to fulfill its mission: Acting quickly, promptly, and leaving no one behind.

The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) was established in 2005 to enhance the United Nations humanitarian system's ability to respond quickly to crises around the world .

CERF provides emergency support for relief operations within the first 72 hours, focusing on essential needs such as food, medical care , shelter, clean water, sanitation, and protection.

The fund operates entirely on voluntary contributions from countries and donors, aiming to maintain an annual budget of up to $1 billion to meet the growing humanitarian needs globally.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/viet-nam-tran-trong-su-ho-tro-kip-thoi-cua-quy-ho-tro-khan-cap-trung-uong-tiep-tuc-dong-hanh-tren-tinh-than-doan-ket-chia-se-trach-nhiem-chung-337334.html