“Whilst humanitarian needs soar across the world due to the forces of conflict, climate change and ever-rising food prices, over £2.34 billion from the sale of Chelsea FC languishes in a frozen bank account. The money is committed to meeting humanitarian needs arising from the war in Ukraine. However, the UK government and EU have not consented to this money supporting people beyond Ukraine’s borders, in addition to in Ukraine.
“With aid budgets being slashed throughout the world, the money from the sale is a significant amount which could help to turn the tide on some of the biggest crises of our lifetime. For instance, UK humanitarian aid to South Sudan has fallen from around £100 million a year in 2018 to under £19 million – this is despite over nine million people in humanitarian need, and tens of thousands of refugees and returnees arriving in the country due to the war over the border in Sudan.
“The conflict in Ukraine is causing escalating needs for basic services such as food, shelter and clean water within the country itself; meeting these needs must be a priority for the new fund. Across East Africa meanwhile – where humanitarian needs are rising due to conflict and climate change – the impact of rising food and fuel prices from the conflict in Ukraine is putting additional pressure on millions of people. There are also over eight million refugees from Ukraine across Europe, who cannot benefit from this fund if the money can only be spent within the country.
“If the funds from the sale of Chelsea FC are not urgently released, it will lead to more than the current 10 per cent of the world’s population going hungry each night.”