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Jersey's publicly-funded aid and development agency has announced that the island has been appointed to lead a key humanitarian group.
Jersey Overseas Aid said the island will help “steer discussions on critical humanitarian issues” as the first non-member state to lead the United Nation’s Pooled Fund Working Group.
Over the next year – alongside Italy and the UN’s Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs – Jersey will co-chair the group, which sets the agenda for dealing with pooled funds given by governments to provide rapid relief to communities facing emergencies.
Pictured: Deputy Carolyn Labey is the Minister for International Development.
Jersey has helped respond to emergencies in countries including Syria, the occupied Palestinian territories, Yemen, Ukraine, South Sudan and Central African Republic.
The island’s appointment as co-chair of the working group follows its membership – alongside other government donors including the UK, US and Germany – of the Good Humanitarian Donorship Initiative, an informal forum that works to promote humanitarian principles and good practice.
Jersey Overseas Aid currently allocates approximately 25% of its annual budget to emergency response, providing financial support to pre-approved humanitarian partners delivering life-saving assistance to populations affected by natural disasters and conflict.
Pictured: Jersey Overseas Aid currently allocates approximately 25% of its annual budget to emergency response.
Recent allocations include emergency food relief in Haiti, through the UN’s World Food Programme, and protection and legal support in Sudan through the UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR.
Lisa Doughten, director of the UN’s financing and partnerships division, acknowledged the island’s valuable contribution over almost ten years to Country-Based Pooled Funds.
“We look forward to further enhancing our collaboration with Jersey, who, as one of the new co-chairs of the Pooled Fund Working Group, will help to steer discussions on critical humanitarian issues,” she said.
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