WHO requests $2.5 billion for health emergency responses
Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria, Ethiopia, climate tragedies like Pakistan mentioned in WHO report
GENEVA (Web Desk) - The World Health Organization (WHO) has requested for $2.54 billion in support its efforts in 2023 to assist millions of people throughout the world who are experiencing medical emergencies.
According to the UN health organisation, there are presently an unprecedented number of interconnected health emergencies that require attention.
It mentioned the savage battle in Ukraine, the effects of war on health in Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria and Ethiopia as well as the tragedies brought on by climate change such as the enormous floods that struck Pakistan last year and the rising food shortages in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa.
Additionally, it emphasised that all of these crises coincide with the significant health system disruptions brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic and outbreaks of other fatal diseases like measles and cholera.
Director WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, "We are witnessing an unprecedented confluence of crises that needs an exceptional response," adding, "The world cannot turn a blind eye and wait for these situations to go away."
According to him, the WHO is now addressing 54 health crises throughout the world 11 of which are classified as high-level emergencies that demand a comprehensive response.
According to the UN, a record 339 million people will require emergency assistance this year, up almost a quarter from 2022.
