Global humanitarian aid faces $40.8 billion funding shortfall: rights chief

Geneva: The UN rights chief said on Tuesday that humanitarian aid faced a $40.8 billion funding shortfall across the globe, leaving appeals funded jus...

Geneva: The UN rights chief said on Tuesday that humanitarian aid faced a $40.8-billion funding shortfall across the globe, leaving appeals funded just 16.1 percent on average.

"Contrast this with the almost $2.5 trillion in Global military expenditure in 2023, a 6.8 percent increase in real terms from 2022," Volker Turk told the opening of a United Nations Human Rights Council session, pointing out that "this was the steepest year-on-year increase since 2009".

Civilian deaths in conflicts soared 72% globally

The UN rights chief said also said on Tuesday that civilian deaths due to armed conflicts around the world soared 72 percent last year, voicing alarm at the proportion of women and children killed.

"In 2023, data gathered by my Office shows the number of civilian deaths in armed conflict soared by 72 percent," Volker Turk told the opening of a United Human Rights Council session, adding that data indicated "the proportion of women killed in 2023 doubled and that of children tripled".