UN launches record $22.5bn aid appeal due to wars in Africa, Middle East

The UN launched a record annual humanitarian appeal on Friday, asking donors for $22.5 billion to meet the needs of 90.1 million people in 2018. The large-scale appeal is due mainly to wars in Africa and Middle East, Reuters reports. Needs are rising substantially in Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Libya, Somalia and Sudan. They also remain exceptionally high in Nigeria, South Sudan, the Syrian region and Yemen, which will remain the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.