PS Churu

Local Gvnt PS appointed into UN (CERF) Advisory Group

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works Mr Zvinechimwe Churu has been appointed into the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) Advisory Group.

In a statement on 30 September 2022, UN CERF announced that United Nations Secretary General Mr General António Guterres appointed Mr Churu to be part of the eight new members to the group that will provide policy guidance and advice on the use of CERF funds to the Secretary-General through the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths.

The new members will serve a single three-year term.

The other members are Mr Cristian Torres Bermeo, Director at the National Service for Risk and Emergency Management from Ecuador, Ms. Susanne Fries-Gaier, Director for Humanitarian Assistance in the Federal Foreign Office of Germany from Germany, Mr Hesham Huwisa, Head of the Humanitarian Affairs Division of the Mission of the State of Libya to the United Nations and International Organizations in Geneva from Libya.

The other four are  Ms Caecilia Wijgers, acting Ambassador of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands to Afghanistan from Netherlands, Ms. Hilde Salvesen, Policy Director of the Section for Humanitarian Affairs of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs from Nowary, Dr Aqeel Jamaan Al-Ghamdi, Assistant Supervisor General for Planning and Development of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center from Saudi Arabia and Ms. Sarah Charles, Assistant to the Administrator at the U.S. Agency for International Development and Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance from the United States of America.

The international body said after the appointment of the new members, the Advisory Group now has 20 members from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Gulf, the Latin America and Caribbean region, North America and Oceania.

Since 2006, CERF has enabled humanitarian organisations to provide rapid humanitarian assistance to tens of millions of people across the globe.

Between 2006 and 2021, CERF disbursed some US$7.5 billion for life-saving assistance in more than 111 countries and territories, with contributions from 131 Member States and observers, as well as regional governments, corporate donors, foundations and individuals.  

This year, UN said, the Fund has allocated $559 million to support humanitarian operations in 37 countries.

This includes responding to the crisis in Ukraine and addressing food insecurity in the Horn of Africa and Sahel. CERF has a proven track record of providing time-critical funding for life-saving humanitarian assistance in crises across the globe. In 2016, the General Assembly endorsed an annual funding target of $1 billion, which is critical for the global humanitarian system as it strives to meet growing needs

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