The United Nations has appealed for $22.5 billion to provide humanitarian aid to more than 90 million people next year. Armed conflicts and natural disasters have driven up the estimated aid total to a record level. The UN launched its annual aid drive on Friday asking donors around the world for a record-high amount of $22.5 billion (€18.9 billion) to pay for humanitarian aid in 2018. UN agencies and other humanitarian organizations said the sum would help a targeted 90 million people that the world body considers “the most vulnerable.”Nearly 136 million people are predicted to need aid in 26 countries in 2018, rising over 5 percent from last year’s estimate. “More people than ever before will need our assistance,” UN humanitarian affairs chief Mark Lowcock said in a statement.

Source: Egypt Independent December 01, 2017 12:56 UTC