紐時賞析／全球戰爭、天災四起 聯合國反降明年募款目標

加薩平民流離失所，部分暫居在南部汗尤尼斯的臨時帳篷。（紐約時報）

Despite Wars, Earthquakes and Hurricanes, U.N. Cuts Appeal for Aid

戰爭、地震和颶風四起 聯合國反降募款目標

The United Nations has cut its appeal for humanitarian aid in the coming year by nearly 20%, saying that it has to focus on only the most urgent cases, even as the number of people facing conflict and climate emergencies grows sharply.

聯合國已將明年的人道援助募款目標額削減近20%，他們表示，雖然面臨衝突及氣候緊急狀況的人數急遽增加，但他們必須只聚焦在最緊急的案例上。

The move comes as the U.N. has so far received only about a third of the funding requested for this year. Against that backdrop, the organization says it has been forced to focus its appeal for 2024 on aid for those in only the most life-threatening circumstances.

採取這項行動之際，聯合國今年僅募得約三分之一所需資金。在此情況下，聯合國表示，他們被迫將2024年的援助募款聚焦於生命受到最嚴重威脅的人們身上。

About 300 million people will require urgent humanitarian assistance next year, according to calculations by U.N. agencies and about 1,900 partner organizations. Nonetheless, the U.N. on Monday asked for a total of $46 billion, compared with the $57 billion it sought in 2023.

聯合國機構和約1900個合作組織估計，明年約3億人需要緊急人道援助。儘管如此，聯合國週一宣佈募捐的目標總額爲460億美元，而2023年則是570億美元。

“It’s not because there is no need,” Martin Griffiths, the U.N. aid chief, said of the reduced aid request. “The necessary support from the international community is not keeping pace with the needs.”

聯合國援助事務負責人葛瑞菲斯說，募款目標縮減不是因爲沒需求，而是「來自國際社會的必要支持跟不上需求」。

The number of people forced from their homes by conflict or climate emergencies is at record levels for this century, the U.N. said in its appeal. Some 258 million people in 58 countries who are facing armed violence, flooding or severe drought are now acutely short of food, including nearly 14 million children at imminent risk of death.

聯合國在募款文中表示，因衝突或氣候緊急情況所迫而流離失所的人數，已創本世紀新高。來自約58國的2.58億人面臨武裝暴力、洪災或嚴重乾旱等威脅，糧食嚴重短缺，其中近1400萬名孩童更面臨迫在眉睫的死亡風險。

But despite extreme natural disasters this year, including earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, and Cyclone Freddy in Southern Africa, as well as wars in the Gaza Strip, Sudan and Ukraine, countries have failed to donate anywhere near the $57 billion target. Although donations always fall short of the total requested, funding for U.N. aid programs actually dropped in 2023 for the first time in 13 years — through the end of November, they had received a total of $20 billion, $4 billion less than the previous year.

今年極端自然災害肆虐，包括土耳其、敘利亞地震和非南熱帶氣旋弗萊迪等，而加薩走廊、蘇丹及烏克蘭等地的戰火也持續延燒，儘管如此，來自各國的捐款離目標570億美元仍有一大段距離。雖然每年的捐款都少於目標金額，但今年卻是聯合國援助計劃13年來首度出現捐款下滑趨勢；截至11月底，聯合國僅收到200億美元，比去年還少40億美元。

High among priorities for 2024 will be Gaza, where Israel’s war with Hamas has displaced most of the enclave’s 2.2 million people and destroyed much of its housing and civilian infrastructure.

2024年優先事項的重點將是加薩，以色列與哈瑪斯在這塊飛地的戰爭，已導致220萬居民多半流離失所，並破壞當地許多住宅及民生基礎設施。

Fighting in Sudan, where 10 months of war have left 30 million people in need of support, means that country and the Middle East are expected to swallow close to a third of the total aid budget for the coming year.

延燒10個月的蘇丹戰爭導致3000萬人需要援助，這也意味蘇丹及中東預計將用掉未來一年援助預算總額近三分之一。

文／Nick Cumming-Bruce 譯／陳曉慈