In an attempt to scale up its response to the most severe humanitarian crises and emergencies, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has welcomed a US$23.7mn contribution from the Government of Norway, representing the largest single unear-marked funding of its kind till date
The funds will be channelled through FAO’s Special Fund for Emergency and Rehabilitation Activities (SFERA), which is a funding mechanism with streamlined procedures to receive flexible contributions from donors and allocate them where and when they are most needed.
With this funding, FAO aims to reach around 600,000 food insecure people with farming inputs, livestock supplies, fishing inputs and cash assistance where needed. The contribution will focus on countries and people most in need under Humanitarian Response Plans, while having a strategic reserve to respond quickly to sudden onset emergencies.
Through the SFERA 2022 contribution, Norway was also among the first countries to assist the earthquake-affected families in Turkey and the Syrian Arab Republic. Assistance is also being delivered in Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Honduras, Mali, Mozambique and the Niger.
Rein Paulsen, Director of the FAO Office of Emergencies and Resilience highlighted that empowering rural families affected by hunger has always been the core focus of Norway's partnership with the FAO.
