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European Union contributes EUR 300,000 in support of UNDSS Appeal
20 March 2023 | UNDSS Comms The European Union has contributed EUR 300,000 towards the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) Appeal. The contribution is the first investment by a donor in enabling UNDSS to provide effective, people centered security support to the UN family and its partners, especially in times of crisis. |
Help ensure that humanitarian aid arrives where it is needed
Helping the UN to deliver in emergencies: UNDSS Appeal for 2023-2024
To contribute, write to us at undsspartnerships@un.org
Food commodities being unloaded from the UNHAS helicopter in Mansila, Burkina Faso in May 2022. ©Photo: WFP/ Esther Ouoba
Over the last decade, the environment in which the UN and its partners operate has become more complex, and the threats that staff face have increased in severity. The United Nations is now operating in 50 locations that are classified as high threat, compared to five in 2005. New trends impacting security have also emerged, from climate change and associated population movements, socio-economic downturn and political fragmentation.
The current operating environment is unpredictable, challenging the United Nations' ability to anticipate and respond to emergencies effectively and reach out to people in need. In 2023, 339 million people will need humanitarian assistance and protection. A record of $51.5 billion is needed to help 230 million of the world's most vulnerable people in nearly 70 countries. In a video message, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that during a "year of extremes", it was essential to fund lifesaving operations next year, which were a "source of hope for millions of people in desperate need."
[Download] For more detailed information, please download the UNDSS Appeal for 2023-2024, click here for English and French:
The $14 million in funding reflected in the appeal will help protect member state investments in global humanitarian and development assistance.
When an emergency hits, UNDSS is called to support the UN response. Security is a prerequisite for delivering assistance and reaching those most in need. Security is not an isolated activity. It is an essential component to implementing programmes, achieving results and making a meaningful impact on people’s lives. However, the proliferation of crises over the past years now outstrips what the Department can deliver with its existing resources.
While our requirements have grown significantly over the past years, UNDSS has maintained a nearly zero-growth budget. This funding has enabled the Department to meet our ‘day to day’ requirements. However, the Department has found itself stretched beyond its resourced capacity to meet the increasing demands in support of UN operations. UNDSS is seeking a total of $ 14,297,314 to strengthen our resilience and response to emergencies. The following areas are under-capacity and underfunded and constitute the Department’s most acute and urgent vulnerabilities.
Our Priority Areas
Emergency response
The proliferation of crises over the past few years has exposed serious gaps in UNDSS capacity. Until now, the Department has used existing structures and personnel through part-time, voluntary surge deployments, and often at insufficiently senior levels. This approach has often fallen short of partner requirements. Drawing staff from their assigned duty station to serve in a crisis creates gaps in coverage, leaving other locations vulnerable. When UN security is lacking, the consequences for UN operations can be profound. For UN partners it can result in aid that is not delivered to beneficiaries in hard-to-reach areas.
Goal: Help the United Nations to deliver emergency humanitarian programming in the most complex and dangerous environments, reaching the world’s most vulnerable people.
$9,624,970
To read the proposal, click here.
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Digital transformation
Digital technology is a fundamental force for change that impacts nearly every aspect of daily life. New technologies are also changing the character and nature of conflict, influencing the behaviors of conflict actors, with a substantive impact on the safety and security of UN personnel. The consequences and rapid pace of digital transformation gives rise to new risks but also presents new opportunities. It demands action and leadership to reimagine security in a digital age.
Goal: A revitalized information management system will strengthen UNDSS' agility, anticipation and responsiveness to security challenges by harnessing the potential of digital technologies.
$2,690,206
To read the proposal, click here.
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Capacity building for crisis psychosocial support
The United Nations operates in the most challenging parts of the world. Many UN personnel live and work under stress and are confronted with critical incidents and emergencies. The COVID-19 pandemic has further challenged the resilience and psychosocial wellbeing of UN personnel.
Goal: Create and pilot a hybrid training certification program to build the capacity of mental health of professionals in the field to deliver high-quality critical incident stress management services to UN personnel and dependents.
$923,006
To read the proposal, click here.
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Advocacy, evidence and learning
We require an additional capacity to provide high-quality communications internally and with our partners in the UN system. The Department also has very limited donor reporting and monitoring capacity. UNDSS will provide an annual results-based report to donors on the appeal in February of 2024 and 2025.
Goal: Ensure that resources contributed to the appeal are used effectively and efficiently based on the highest fiduciary standards within the UN. We will communicate what we do, why we do it, the challenges we will face and the results we achieve.
$1,059,132
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UNDSS is grateful for the support from its donors, including:
