United Nations, Oct 3 (IANS): The United Nations has released 160 million US dollars in emergency funding to support life-saving assistance in 12 countries and regions facing severe humanitarian needs, UN humanitarian officials said.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Friday (local time) said the Central Emergency Response Fund designated 150 million dollars of the allocation for Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Cuba, Mali, Niger, the occupied Palestinian territory, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen.

An additional 10 million dollars was earmarked to address the urgent needs of people with disabilities across the 12 humanitarian emergencies and make aid more accessible and inclusive, OCHA said.

The funding is part of a broader effort to reach 87 million people facing the most severe humanitarian needs this year, according to OCHA.

"Today's new funding will help us get aid to people who might otherwise be left behind," said UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher, reports Xinhua news agency.

"But money alone won't get us there: leaders must exercise political will to open access, remove obstacles and help us reach people whose lives are on the line."

Afghanistan, the occupied Palestinian territory, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen are also among 10 humanitarian emergencies where Fletcher has called for urgent diplomatic action to secure access and help reach 11 million of the 87 million people prioritised for assistance this year, OCHA said.

(IANS)

This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.