Geneva: The World Health Organization (WHO) announced today that it requires $1 billion to respond to health crises in 36 regions worldwide experiencing acute public health emergencies.

According to Qatar News Agency, the organization said the funding will be allocated to as many as 36 emergency situations, including Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine, expressing concern over the vast scale of needs and how they can be met.

In a related context, Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, warned in remarks that under such conditions, health needs continue to rise while access to care diminishes. He noted that a quarter of a billion people are facing humanitarian crises that deprive them of essential protective factors such as safety, shelter, and access to healthcare.

He stressed the critical importance of mobilizing these funds to assist those in need, emphasizing that the focus will be on the most vulnerable populations, where the greatest number of lives can be saved.

The WHO's announcement of its need to provide $1 billion for emergency responses this year represents a decrease of nearly one-third compared to last year, amid declining donor funding and uncertainty surrounding the position of the United States, previously its largest donor.