The United Nations humanitarian aid coordination agency says that it and its partners will need a record $22.2 billion next year to help people hit by conflict and disasters around the world, a 10 percent increase from this year.
The appeal was announced on Monday by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, as it seeks to help nearly 93 million people in 33 countries across the world.
Nearly two thirds of the affected countries are in Africa, though more than one-third of the total appeal – $8.1 billion – will be directed towards helping people in war-torn Syria as well as refugees from the country.
$4.4 billion will be used to support people inside or fleeing violence in Yemen and South Sudan.
International donors have provided $11.4 billion to the 2016 global appeal – just over half the requirement – which has created the largest gap ever in funding, OCHA said.
Conflicts including those in Yemen, Syria, South Sudan and Nigeria were the main driver of the appeal, the agency said. But it said in a statement, it added that droughts and other natural catastrophes are “pushing vulnerable communities to the brink of survival.”
