The Basque Government maintains its commitment to the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF)

• In 2022, the fund has assisted populations in humanitarian emergencies in Ethiopia, Somalia, Ukraine, Cuba and Yemen

The delegate in the Basque Country in the United States, Unai Telleria, participated yesterday in the ‘CERF High-Level Pledging Event: A Fund for all by all’, organised by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in New York. In his speech, Telleria announced the Basque Government’s commitment to contribute 200,000 euros to the fund in 2023.

Taking into account the complexity of the contexts and the multiple needs generated by humanitarian crises, the Basque Country advocates a more effective and coordinated response to emergencies. That is why eLankidetza— the Basque Agency for Development Cooperation─ an entity in charge of carrying out the humanitarian policy of the Basque Government and belonging to the Department of Equality, Justice and Social Policies has made a contribution of 700,000 euros to the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) since 2019.

 At the event, presided over by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Telleria recalled that over the last 32 years the Basque Government “has supported close to 500 initiatives for an amount of more than 100 million euros in contexts such as Palestine, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Sahara, Colombia or Central America”; many of them forgotten crises according to the European Union.

Immediate and effective response

One of eLankidetza’s commitments in humanitarian action is to ensure an immediate response to emergencies. In this sense, it makes financial contributions each year to international appeals or to global funds such as CERF. It aims to reduce loss of life, improve the ability to respond when time is critical, and strengthen humanitarian response in underfunded situations.

In 2022, CERF has been able to respond, within 48 hours, to humanitarian emergencies caused by wars and armed conflicts, disasters due to the climate crisis or the impact of Covid-19, among others, in 40 countries. It also served the Ukrainian population on the very day the invasion began and has contributed to the food insecurity suffered by populations in Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Central African Republic, Yemen and the Sahel.  It has also provided humanitarian assistance to Cuba in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian and anticipated aid to Nepal due to the expected floods that hit the Asian country every year.