UNITED NATIONS, New York - The Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Thoraya Obaid today launched the annual United Nations appeals for humanitarian assistance in New York. The appeals, presented globally in eight donor countries, aim to raise $3 billion to cover urgent humanitarian needs of more than 50 million people in more than 30 countries worldwide.

"The Consolidated Inter Agency Appeals represent a global plan of action to work with our partners in some of the most war-torn, politically complex, isolated and economically depressed countries in the world," said Ms. Obaid. "Yes, these are tough cases, and this is exactly why tough action is needed to break the cycle of death and destruction that takes its hideous and overwhelming toll."

This year's appeals, under the theme Hope for the Future, underline the need to give people living in crisis and conflicts a ray of hope for a better future. The appeals also aim to support countries in transition from war to peace, such as Afghanistan and Sierra Leone, and to remind the international community of other forgotten emergencies, such as those of Burundi and Eritrea.

As part of the appeal, UNFPA is requesting up to $22 million to finance urgent reproductive health projects in 13 crisis countries. These include efforts to boost emergency safe motherhood services in Burundi and Somalia and to address the problem of violence against women in Eritrea, Sierra Leone and Angola. The funds will also support measures to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS among internally displaced people and refugees in several countries and among the armed forces in Sierra Leone, and to provide rehabilitation and reproductive health services to adolescent sex workers in that country.

"Today, the United Nations is asking the world's donors for $3 billion to bring food to the hungry, medical assistance to the sick, and shelter to the displaced," said Ms. Obaid. "Three billion dollars can go a long way to help people resume normal lives and to restore hope and human dignity."

Countries covered by the new appeal include Afghanistan, Angola, Burundi, Chechnya and neighbouring republics, Côte d'Ivoire and other parts of West Africa, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Africa's Great Lakes region, Guinea, Indonesia, Liberia, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Southern Africa Region, Sudan, Tajikistan and Uganda.

The appeal mechanism was put in place by United Nations humanitarian agencies a decade ago to coordinate activities and maximize resources in addressing humanitarian needs.

In addition to New York, the 2003 appeals were launched today in Berne, Washington, D.C., Brussels, and Luxembourg. Similar appeals will be announced tomorrow in The Hague, Tokyo and Canberra.

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UNFPA is the world's largest multilateral source of population assistance. Since it became operational in 1969, it has provided close to $6 billion to developing countries to meet reproductive health needs and support sustainable development issues. The Fund helps ensure that women displaced by natural disasters or armed conflicts have life-saving services such as assisted delivery, and prenatal and post-partum care; and it works to reduce their vulnerability to HIV infection, sexual exploitation and violence.

Contact Information:

Omar Gharzeddine
Tel.: +1 (212) 297-5028
Email: gharzeddine@unfpa.org