EU pledges 7.7 billion euros towards global needs in 2024

The European Union on Monday pledged to spend an initial 7.7 billion euros ($8.39 billion) on humanitarian aid in 2024, less than the previous year despite soaring needs in Gaza and elsewhere.
“I think this is a solid amount … but it could be better,” EU humanitarian aid and crisis management chief Janez Lenarcic told the opening of a humanitarian conference in Brussels.
Last year, member states and the bloc’s executive Commission pledged 8.4 billion euros in total.
No reason was given for the decrease.
The U.N. says a record 300 million people are in need of humanitarian help, mostly due to conflicts and climate change. It estimates the worldwide funding gap at nearly $50 billion.