United Nations, Dec 12, SPA -- The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which relies almost entirely on voluntary contributions, on Tuesday appealed for nearly $1.1 billion to assist the millions of refugees and displaced people in the world. Inaugurating its annual pledging conference in Geneva, UNHCR appealed for financial support for its 2008 budget, including its largest operations in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Chad, and Kenya. UNHCR spokeswoman Jennifer Pagonis told reporters that “it is vital to get early and prompt funding so we can plan effectively and continue our operations to help those uprooted by conflict and persecution without interruption.”Next month, the agency-which operates in 116 countries-will launch several supplementary appeals for emergency and special programs, totaling $480 million, bringing UNHCR’s total 2008 budget to $1.57 billion, up from $1.45 billion in 2007. The supplementary appeals include relief operations in Darfur; repatriation and reintegration of Sudanese and Mauritanian refugees; and the situations in Iraq and Somalia. Nearly 40 percent of UNHCR’s budget goes towards its operations in Africa, followed by the Middle East and North Africa with 17.5 percent, the Asia-Pacific region with 9.9 percent, Europe with 5.9 percent, and the Western Hemisphere with 2.8 percent. So far, over 90 percent of the agency’s 2007 budget has been funded by donors, with the United States, Sweden, the European Commission, Japan, the Netherlands, Denmark, Britain, and Norway being the largest contributors.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/508551