As 2025 draws to a close, the world finds itself grappling with the relentless onslaught of natural disasters, from record-breaking heatwaves and catastrophic floods to devastating earthquakes and typhoons. Nowhere has the impact of these events been more keenly felt than in the Philippines and across South and Southeast Asia, where communities have faced repeated and intensifying climate-linked hazards. The global humanitarian system, spearheaded by organizations like UNICEF and the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), has been forced to adapt rapidly, delivering life-saving aid and innovative financing to those in dire need.
According to a recent report by UNICEF, published on December 8, 2025, the agency, in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, provided emergency cash assistance to 5,751 families in Catanduanes, Region V, whose homes were partially damaged by Super Typhoon Uwan. The assistance was delivered directly into the families’ bank accounts, a move that allowed recipients to prioritize their most urgent needs, particularly those related to their children’s well-being. This flexible, recipient-driven approach marks a significant evolution in humanitarian response, empowering affected families to make decisions that best suit their unique situations.
But the work did not stop there. UNICEF has been scaling up its child protection efforts in Catanduanes, establishing child-friendly spaces, building local capacity, setting up feedback mechanisms, and strengthening coordination among agencies. The aim is to ensure that children and other vulnerable groups remain safe and protected in the aftermath of disaster. In addition to its work in Catanduanes, UNICEF dispatched water and hygiene kits to Cebu province and is actively procuring nutrition commodities and other essential supplies to support regions experiencing supply shortages.
The need for such rapid and targeted interventions has never been more urgent. The year 2025 has been marked by a cascade of extreme weather and seismic events worldwide. As reported by Down To Earth and other outlets, India alone endured a series of punishing disasters: a rare lightning outbreak in April killed at least 162 people across 12 states, while a persistent heat dome from April to June saw temperatures in Delhi repeatedly soar above 45 degrees Celsius. Record pre-monsoon floods in the northeast triggered landslides and cut off key highways, and in July, a pair of earthquakes near Jhajjar revived fears about seismic risk in the densely populated Delhi-NCR region.
August brought further calamity, with cloudbursts in Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir unleashing deadly flash floods and landslides. Punjab and Haryana were inundated by monsoon floods that breached river embankments, submerging hundreds of villages and causing massive agricultural and human losses. Cyclones Montha and Ditwah battered India’s east and south coasts in October and November, respectively, forcing large-scale evacuations and paralyzing transport, schools, and offices in cities like Chennai.
Globally, the scale of disaster was no less staggering. California’s Palisades and Eaton wildfires in January caused multibillion-dollar losses and underscored the growing threat of extreme weather in the United States. In March, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar, killing more than 3,000 people and damaging regions as far afield as Thailand, China, and Vietnam. Europe endured a prolonged heatwave from April to September, with temperatures exceeding 45 degrees Celsius and thousands of heat-related deaths. Severe floods in Nigeria, monsoon deluges in Pakistan, a historic 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, and twin deadly earthquakes in Afghanistan added to the global toll.
In Southeast Asia, the late monsoon season brought persistent flooding and typhoons. Cyclone Senyar devastated Indonesia and Thailand, Cyclone Ditwah battered Sri Lanka, and Super Typhoon Fung-wong tore through the Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan. These events have tested emergency systems to their limits and highlighted the urgent need for fast, flexible funding mechanisms capable of responding to crises as they unfold.
Enter CERF, the United Nations’ flagship rapid-response fund managed by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). As detailed in a December 8, 2025, report by The Manila Times, the Philippines has received over $125 million from CERF since its inception in 2006, making it one of the top recipients in Asia and the Pacific. CERF’s unique strength lies in its agility: funds can be released within 48 hours, enabling immediate action when every minute counts. Assistant Secretary Maria Teresa Almojuela of the Department of Foreign Affairs hailed CERF as “agile and fast – a critical infusion of resources to kick start life-saving response within hours or even before disaster strikes.”
Over the past two decades, CERF has allocated more than $9 billion to United Nations humanitarian agencies in over 100 countries and territories. The Philippines, while a major beneficiary, has also emerged as a key contributor, increasing its annual donation from $2,500 in 2019 to $250,000 in 2025 and providing expert guidance on the CERF Advisory Group since 2014. “CERF is vital — and we need greater investment so it can continue to adapt and evolve, while maintaining its core purpose: providing critical funds immediately, when they matter most, to save lives and livelihoods,” said Tristan Burnett, United Nations Resident Coordinator ad interim in the Philippines.
The impact of CERF’s rapid response is tangible. Of the $125 million received by the Philippines, more than $86 million has supported quick action following tropical cyclones, floods, and earthquakes, including Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 and Super Typhoon Rai in 2021. The remaining funds have addressed post-conflict displacement during critical funding shortages. Most recently, in November 2025, CERF allocated $5.95 million under its Anticipatory Action framework ahead of Tropical Cyclone Fung-Wong (locally known as Uwan), enabling pre-arranged life-saving measures before landfall. Additional rapid response funds included $3.5 million for Severe Tropical Storm Trami (Kristine) and $7 million for successive cyclones, supporting urgent interventions in water, sanitation, shelter, food security, and protection.
Kyungsun Kim, UNICEF Philippines Country Representative, praised CERF’s operational readiness: “Because of its operational readiness and speed, CERF fills the gaps like no other funding mechanism does.” Emma Hickey, Ireland’s Ambassador to the Philippines, emphasized the fund’s role within the broader climate financing landscape, calling CERF “a critical lifeline that is often rolled out much faster than other, more development-oriented sources of climate, disaster risk reduction and adaptation funding.” Christian Halaas Lyster, Norway’s Ambassador, reaffirmed Norway’s steadfast support: “Norway likes CERF and has always been among its strongest supporters! CERF is central for humanitarian reset – together with principled humanitarian action, respect for international law and rules-based international order.”
As the frequency and severity of natural disasters continue to rise, the experiences of 2025 have underscored the necessity of agile, collaborative humanitarian action. The Philippines’ proactive partnership with CERF and UNICEF offers a compelling model for how nations and international agencies can work together to save lives and build resilience in an era of mounting climate risk.
