UN frees $50 million in emergency funds for 6 aid operations

The United Nations is freeing up $50 million from its emergency response fund to bolster severely underfunded aid operations in six countries, including Yemen and Eritrea.

The U.N. Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) said in a news release Tuesday that the money will provide crucial assistance for 2 million people, including 200,000 refugees, 665,000 internally displaced persons, 170,000 returnees and 530,000 people in host communities.

CERF says $13 million will boost relief operations in war-torn Yemen, where more than 82 per cent of the population needs humanitarian assistance, and $2 million will support humanitarian partners in Eritrea.

The remainder of the funds will go to Central African Republic, Chad, The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, all belonging to a part of Africa that has suffered greatly due to armed conflict, political instability, a lack of food and disease.