The international community facing a global humanitarian crisis in 2024: a call for donations of $46.4 billion
In a recently released report, the United Nations appealed for $46.4 billion in donations for next year to provide lifesaving assistance to an estimated 180 million people in desperate situations across the world.
The UN has stressed that the global humanitarian situation for 2024 is grim, with conflict, climate emergencies and collapsing economies ravaging the most vulnerable. As global attention focuses on the conflict raging in the Gaza Strip, the UN said the wider Middle East, Sudan and Afghanistan were also among the hotspots requiring emergency operations. major international aid.
However, the annual appeal and the number of people targeted have been revised downwards compared to 2023, due to a reduction in donations. Indeed, the report indicates that “the necessary support from the international community is not keeping pace with needs”. The 2023 appeal was for $56.7 billion but received only 35% of that, one of the worst funding shortages in recent years. This enabled UN agencies to provide assistance and protection to 128 million people.
It is therefore expected that 2023 will be the first year since 2010 that humanitarian donations decrease compared to the previous year. Therefore, the UN has revised its appeal down to $46.4 billion this time and will focus on those most seriously affected.
The report highlights 72 countries in need of assistance: 26 states in crisis and 46 neighboring countries facing consequences, such as an influx of refugees. The five largest calls for a single country are for Syria ($4.4 billion), Ukraine ($3.1 billion), Afghanistan ($3 billion), Ethiopia ($2, 9 billion dollars) and Yemen ($2.8 billion).
Martin Griffiths, the UN’s humanitarian relief chief, said the amount was nonetheless a “massive request” and would be difficult to raise, with many donor countries facing their own economic crises.
The report highlights that the Middle East and North Africa requires $13.9 billion, the highest amount for any region in 2024. In addition to Syria, the Palestinian territories and Yemen, Martin Griffiths said also highlighted Sudan and its neighboring countries, as well as Ukraine, Afghanistan, Venezuela and Myanmar as hotspots requiring sustained international attention.
The report also highlights the growing impact of climate change on the work of humanitarian aid workers, who will need to learn how to better use climate data to focus aid resources. Martin Griffiths says there is no doubt that climate now rivals conflict as a driver of need, and has displaced more children than conflict itself.
In short, in the face of a growing global humanitarian crisis, the UN’s appeal for donations is of crucial importance to ensure the survival and protection of the millions of people most vulnerable and most affected by conflicts, climate emergencies and economic crises. A robust international response and increased donations are needed to respond to this unprecedented humanitarian crisis.