The United Nations says it allocated $160 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to provide life-saving assistance in 12 of the world’s most underfunded humanitarian crises.

In an announcement made on Friday, the UN said the allocation was part of a wider push to reach 87 million people facing the most severe humanitarian needs across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.

Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said the funding would help get aid to people who had been left behind.

“We have 87 million people to reach, and no time to waste. Today’s new funding will help us get aid to people who might otherwise be left behind.

“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,” he said.

Of the new allocation, $150 million will support life-saving responses in Afghanistan ($18 million), Burkina Faso ($10 million), Cameroon ($6 million), Chad ($9 million), Cuba ($4 million), Mali ($10 million), Niger ($10 million), the Occupied Palestinian Territory ($18 million), Somalia ($16 million), South Sudan ($15 million), Sudan ($16 million) and Yemen ($18 million).

Mr Fletcher said countries such as Afghanistan, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen are among five of the crises needing urgent diplomatic action to secure humanitarian access.

The allocation includes $10 million to address the urgent needs of people with disabilities across the 12 crises and support efforts to make humanitarian assistance more accessible and inclusive.

CERF, managed by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, is one of the UN’s fastest funding mechanisms for responding to emergencies and underfunded crises.

The statement said the allocation brings total CERF funding allocated so far in 2026 to $483 million.

The UN said funding decisions for underfunded emergencies are based on an analysis of more than 100 humanitarian indicators and consultations with humanitarian partners.