United Nations, Dec 9 (IANS) Thirty-nine donors have announced record pledges of more than $467 million for the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for 2022, said.This year's pledge is the highest amount committed to CERF in a pledging event, compared to the $372 million pledged one year ago for 2021, and surpassing the previous record of $438.5 million pledged for 2019 at the event in 2018, Xinhua news agency quoted the CERF as saying.Several donors announced top-ups for 2021, bringing overall funding this year to CERF to $610 million.In his remarks at the event, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said CERF is a proven success story.CERF is fast and flexible and it is one of the most effective ways to get help to people in crises, he said.His address was read by Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths as the secretary-general is currently in self-isolation after he came into contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19.Griffiths, in his own remarks, said CERF, with its agility, is one of the most effective and efficient funding instruments in humanitarian aid systems. CERF also remained a lifeline for people caught up in crises that do not attract sufficient donor support.As of today, CERF has provided $553 million in life-saving assistance this year for millions of people in 34 countries. This is the second-highest annual CERF disbursement, surpassed only by the record in 2020 of $848 million, said the fund.Over the last 15 years since its creation, CERF has released $7.5 billion to save lives and protect people in 112 countries.However, it remains well below the $1 billion target endorsed by the UN General Assembly five years ago. 2019 saw the highest contributions of $831.4 million.
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