WHO appeals for $1.5 bln in funding to address health crises

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday appealed for $1.5 billion in funding to respond to the health needs of millions of people caught up in dozens of humanitarian crises around the globe.

"We aim to reach some 87 million people with life-saving humanitarian assistance this year," said WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

"To do this, we need support totalling $1.5 billion, and we need this funding to arrive as early as possible and with as much flexibility as possible... A reactive approach is not enough."

Tedros said an estimated 166 million people would require health assistance around the world this year, including in the occupied Palestinian territories, Ukraine, Haiti and Sudan.