GENEVA, Switzerland, July 21 (UPI) -- U.N. humanitarian relief agencies have received $3.6 billion this year from donors but need $4.3 billion more for the rest of the year, a U.N. official said.
Speaking to reporters in Geneva, Valerie Amos, the U.N. Emergency Relief Coordinator, said $7.4 billion was requested at the start of the year to help the millions of needy people around the world.
However, the figure had to be increased to $7.9 billion to meet new emergency situations including the severe drought in the Horn of Africa that has hit 11.5 million people, Amos said after presenting a mid-year review of the funding to U.N. member states.
"Our key concern is that there are persistent imbalances in funding among crises," she said. "The funding percentages of different appeals range from 29 percent to 60 percent."
She said the United Nations expects humanitarian needs in the second half of 2011 and in 2012 to continue, at least at current levels because of high commodity prices, adverse weather conditions, disasters and conflicts.
"As I said to donors during our mid-year review launch, I hope that they will close the funding gaps. It will make a big difference to the millions of people we need to help," Amos said.
