Minister Richmond announces €21.5m to support UN humanitarian responses

Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Neale Richmond, today announced funding of €21.5 million to the UN to support rapid response to humanitarian crises around the world.

The funding amounts to a contribution of €16m to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for 2026 and an additional €5.5 million to the CERF Climate Action Account. The funding comes amid an alarming rise in humanitarian needs globally, with over 305 million people around the world currently requiring humanitarian assistance.

Announcing the funding, Minister Richmond stated:

This funding from Ireland will support the UN to respond quickly and effectively when communities are plunged into crisis. An unprecedented number of people around the world are facing humanitarian crisis, from high profile conflicts in Sudan and Gaza through to people displaced by climate-related disasters.

Ireland is the seventh largest donor per capita to the UN Central Emergency Fund (CERF). Its focus on underfunded and neglected crises across the globe, its ability to respond rapidly within hours to an emergency, and its lead role on Anticipatory Action and Climate smart humanitarian response strongly put CERF at the centre of the humanitarian system.

CERF is the UN's primary rapid response mechanism for responding to major humanitarian crises. Over the last 20 years, the fund has not only saved countless lives and immeasurably improved our collective humanitarian response but it has continued to support underfunded and neglected crises across Africa, Asia and Latin America. This focus strongly aligns with Ireland’s approach to humanitarian assistance.

The fund is managed by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Ireland’s largest humanitarian partner. Ireland has been an early and strong supporter of the Fund since its inception in 2006.