The United Nations has launched an emergency humanitarian appeal of $23 billion for 2025—barely half of what it originally targeted—citing a dramatic drop in global donor funding at a time when humanitarian needs are at their highest in decades.
In a sobering announcement on Monday, the organisation admitted that the lower appeal will inevitably exclude tens of millions of vulnerable people, as shrinking contributions force aid agencies to focus only on those in the most life-threatening situations.
UN figures show that by November, only $12 billion of this year’s funding needs had been met—the lowest level in a decade, barely covering a quarter of global humanitarian requirements. Aid agencies are also struggling with deteriorating security conditions in conflict zones and limited access to affected populations, compounding the crisis.
The 2026 plan identifies 87 million people whose lives are considered to be in immediate danger, but warns that roughly 250 million people globally require urgent assistance. Even with the scaled-back appeal, the UN aims to reach 135 million people—a target that would require $33 billion if funding were available.
“It’s the cuts ultimately that are forcing us into these tough, tough, brutal choices that we’re having to make,” UN aid chief Tom Fletcher told reporters.
“We are overstretched, underfunded, and under attack,” he said. “And we drive the ambulance towards the fire. On your behalf. But we are also now being asked to put the fire out. And there is not enough water in the tank. And we’re being shot at.”
The largest single appeal, totalling $4 billion, is dedicated to the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly Gaza, where a two-year Israel–Hamas conflict has displaced nearly the entire population of 2.3 million and left them almost fully dependent on aid.
Sudan and Syria follow as the second- and third-largest humanitarian crises requiring urgent international support.
The UN’s humanitarian agencies rely almost entirely on voluntary contributions, largely from Western nations. While the United States remains the largest donor, its share of funding has dropped sharply—from over one-third of total contributions in previous years to 15.6% in 2025, even after recent cuts under the Trump administration.
This decline, paired with rising global instability, raises concerns that more people will be left without the lifesaving support they need.
Melissa Enoch
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