Let U.S. Lead: Emergency and Humanitarian Aid
By switching to a system of voluntary funding, HR 2829 could cripple the UN’s capacity to respond to natural disasters and humanitarian emergencies in a timely and effective manner. For millions of people, the United Nations is the world’s “911 service” in the aftermath of major natural disasters or conflicts—a first-responder and essential provider of food, shelter, and supplies. Agencies like the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) facilitate the work of humanitarian agencies on the ground, while instruments like the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) enable timely and reliable funding for humanitarian assistance in the wake of natural disasters and armed conflicts. Since its inception in 2006, the CERF has committed over $1.8 billion to assist humanitarian relief efforts in 78 countries.
Why the UN? The UN is the only organization with the legitimacy, reputation, capacity, and global reach to coordinate major relief efforts. The UN is on the ground in almost every country in the world and can respond quickly when a humanitarian disaster strikes, providing food, supplies, shelter, and education. In 2010, the UN led the response efforts to natural disasters in Haiti and Pakistan and to humanitarian crises in conflict zones such as Kyrgyzstan. Since the start of 2011, the UN has already been called upon to provide humanitarian assistance in several countries, most notably Libya and Japan.
