Austrian government provides 3 million euros to UNHCR, the CERF emergency fund, and the non-governmental organisation Geneva Call

The economic and social situation in crisis-torn Lebanon is becoming more and more difficult for the local population. Due to global food insecurity, fuelled by the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the country’s food situation has dramatically worsened. More than 80 percent of the population live in poverty, and one-quarter of all Lebanese people depend on food aid. In addition, Lebanon has taken in around 1.5 million displaced Syrians since the start of the Syrian conflict, which puts further strain on the country’s already-fragile basic systems. To reduce the suffering in Lebanon and to strengthen international aid efforts, the Austrian government is providing a total of 3 million euros from the Foreign Ministry’s Relief Fund for Disasters Abroad (AKF).

The humanitarian situation in Lebanon has grown increasingly worse since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. Aid on the ground is essential to prevent further migration streams to Europe. The total of 3 million euros from the Relief Fund for Disasters Abroad that were approved by the Council of Ministers will help ease the suffering of the local population. With our financial support to the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund and to the NGO Geneva Call, we are making an effective contribution in keeping with Austria’s humanitarian tradition,

said Chancellor Karl Nehammer.

The United Nation’s Central Emergency Response Fund, or CERF, was reformed in December 2005 and is considered one of the UN’s central humanitarian reformation projects. It is part of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). As a standby fund, the CERF helps provide victims of natural disasters and armed conflicts with fast, reliable humanitarian aid. By supporting the CERF, Austria thus ensures that people on the ground receive fast, effective help. For more than 20 years, the non-governmental organisation Geneva Call has been active primarily in Syria, the Horn of Africa, and the Sahel region. The NGO works in many different ways. For instance, it not only engaged in efforts to ban anti-personnel mines, to protect children and teens from the effects of armed conflicts, and to prevent sexualised violence, but it also supports compliance with humanitarian international law — with a particular focus on armed non-governmental actors.

The approved payment from the Relief Fund for Disasters Abroad was only possible because resources for humanitarian aid have been multiplied by this government. Rapid aid is needed in Lebanon as the situation is growing increasingly precarious. The UN’s CERF fund was set up to provide immediate aid during natural disasters. Geneva Call supports especially vulnerable groups within the civilian population in dealing with wars and their effects. All of this is essential to eliminating the root causes of flight,

added Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler.

Of the approved 3 million euros, one million will go to the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for Lebanon. Another 1.9 million euros will go to the international emergency fund CERF/OCHA, and 100,000 euros to the non-governmental organisation Geneva Call.

Aid on the ground is an essential cornerstone of Austria’s development cooperation. With these resources from the Foreign Ministry’s Relief Fund for Disasters Abroad, we are making an effective and efficient contribution to fighting the humanitarian crisis in the region. By supporting the international emergency fund CERF and the non-governmental organisation Geneva Call, we can ensure the fast, effective provision of humanitarian aid on site,

concluded Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg, highlighting the important role of aid on the ground.

Source: Government of Austria