The United Nations has launched its 2026 humanitarian appeal asking donors for $23 billion — roughly half the amount it says is required — and warned that the shortfall will leave tens of millions without lifesaving assistance.
The UN made the appeal after a steep fall in donor contributions. For 2025 the organisation initially sought $47 billion but revised that target downward after major donors, including the new US administration and other Western governments, signalled cuts. By November 2025 the UN had received only $12 billion for the year, its lowest total in a decade, covering just over a quarter of stated needs. As a result, agencies have been forced to prioritise the most urgent cases.
Scale Of Need And Priorities
The UN’s 2026 plan identifies 87 million people as priority cases whose lives are at immediate risk. Overall, the organisation estimates about 240–250 million people worldwide need urgent humanitarian assistance because of conflict, epidemics, natural disasters and climate shocks. If fully funded, the plan says it could assist 135 million people at a cost of $33 billion.
The largest single request in the appeal is $4 billion for the occupied Palestinian territory, with most funds earmarked for Gaza. According to UN agencies, Gaza has been devastated by sustained military operations and related damage, leaving the vast majority of its 2.3 million residents displaced or dependent on aid. Sudan is the second priority, followed by Syria.
Operational Strain And Security Risks
"We are overstretched, underfunded, and under attack," said UN aid chief Tom Fletcher. "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."
Fletcher cautioned that humanitarian workers face mounting security risks in conflict zones on top of declining finances. He criticised what he described as international apathy and warned the UN will soon confront "brutal choices" about which populations to assist if funding remains insufficient.
If contributions fall short again, the UN said it will broaden its fundraising outreach beyond traditional government donors to include civil society, the corporate sector and the general public. UN humanitarian agencies remain heavily reliant on voluntary donations from Western governments; the United States was still the single largest funder in 2025, but its share of total funding fell from over one-third historically to about 15.6% in 2025.
The UN emphasized that the 2026 appeal is "laser-focused on saving lives where the shocks hit hardest: wars, climate disasters, earthquakes, epidemics, and crop failures," and urged donors to step up to prevent further loss of life and dignity among the world’s most vulnerable populations.
