The UN's appeal for help – sadness over the world's apathy

The amount the UN is asking for next year – earmarked for aid to Ukraine, Sudan, the Gaza Strip and Haiti, among other places – is the smallest possible, Fletcher claims.

It is based on painful choices between life and death, he says.

Actually, the UN would need 33 billion to help 135 million people, but in light of the aid slaughter, not least by the United States, the world organization is "painfully aware" that it will be difficult.

This is a time of brutality, impunity and indifference, says Fletcher, who condemns politicians who “brag about cutting aid”, while also grimly noting an apathy towards the suffering in the world.

Last year, the UN received only twelve billion US dollars of the 45 billion US dollars it had originally appealed for, the lowest figure in a decade.