UN makes record aid appeal amid disasters, Ukraine war

BERLIN (AP) — The United Nationsis asking member states for a record $51.5 billion in aid funding for next year, as disasters and the ongoing war in Ukraine drive up humanitarian needs worldwide. The global body’s humanitarian office said Thursday the funds would be needed to help 339 million people in 69 countries, an increase of 65 million people compared with 2022. The appeal is a 25% increase on that made for 2022, it said. The U.N.‘s emergency relief coordinator said humanitarian needs are  “shockingly high, as this year’s extreme events are spilling into 2023.” He cited droughts in the Horn of Africa, floods in Pakistan and the conflict in Ukraine.