• The UN’s top relief official released $100 million from the organization’s core humanitarian emergency fund– CERF, to support underfunded aid operations in seven countries in Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas.
• These countries are- Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Sudan, Syria, Chad, Niger , Lebanon and Honduras.
• The new allocation is among the smallest in recent years for the world’s least-financed crises.

ABOUT CERF

• Established by the General Assembly in 2005, CERF is one of the fastest and most effective ways to ensure humanitarian assistance and protection reaches people caught up in crises.
• The UN Emergency Relief Coordinator administers the Fund on behalf of the Secretary-General.
• It releases resources for underfunded emergencies twice a year.
• It also serves as a strategic instrument for addressing critical funding gaps in underfunded humanitarian emergencies.