The World Health Organization has appealed for $1 billion to respond to 36 severe health emergencies in 2026, including Gaza, Sudan, Haiti and Afghanistan. The agency estimates 239 million people will need urgent humanitarian assistance and says the smaller request reflects deep cuts in donor funding. WHO plans to "hyper-prioritise" lifesaving services and empower about 1,500 local partners, but warns that funding shortfalls would increase global epidemic risks.
WHO Appeals for $1 Billion to Tackle 36 Major Global Health Emergencies in 2026
A man infected with mpox showing his hands inside a ward at the Kamenge University Hospital in Bujumbura, Burundi (Tchandrou NITANGA)(Tchandrou NITANGA/AFP/AFP)
The World Health Organization on Tuesday launched an appeal for $1 billion to respond to 36 of the world's most severe health emergencies in 2026, citing crises in Gaza, Sudan, Haiti and Afghanistan among its top priorities.
Why the Reduced Ask?
Facing sharp reductions in foreign aid from wealthy donor countries, the WHO said this year's emergency request is substantially smaller than recent appeals as it seeks to match expectations with likely funding inflows. Last year the agency sought $1.5 billion but received only $900 million—an amount the WHO says is lower than funding levels seen in 2016.
"We are deeply worried about the vast needs and how we will meet them," WHO health emergencies director Chikwe Ihekweazu told reporters in Geneva. "We are making some of the hardest choices we have to make."
Scale of the Need
The WHO estimates that 239 million people will require urgent humanitarian assistance in 2026. The requested funds are intended to keep essential health services running in conflict- and crisis-affected settings where injuries, disease outbreaks, malnutrition and untreated chronic conditions are driving rising health needs.
Priority Responses
The WHO's 2026 priority emergency responses include: Gaza, Sudan, Haiti, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen, alongside ongoing cholera and mpox outbreaks.
Shifting Strategy
Ihekweazu said the WHO is "hyper-prioritising" high-impact interventions and shifting more frontline responsibilities to local actors, aiming to enable around 1,500 local partners to lead ground-level work. The agency says this approach focuses resources where they can save the most lives.
Risks if Funding Falls Short
If funding does not materialise, the WHO warns the world will be more vulnerable to epidemics and future pandemics. "Imagining that these challenges will somehow disappear without global solidarity is wishful thinking," Ihekweazu said. "The consequences might be not only severe for them but severe for the world."
Donor Context and Impact
Washington—historically the WHO's largest donor—has cut foreign aid spending under President Donald Trump; on his first day back in office in January 2025 the U.S. issued a one-year withdrawal notice to the WHO. Last year the largest emergency donors to WHO appeals were the European Union, Germany, Japan, Italy and Britain.
Global funding shortfalls have already had a measurable impact: the WHO says 6,700 health facilities across 22 humanitarian settings were forced to close or reduce services, effectively cutting 53 million people off from health care last year. In the previous year the WHO responded to 50 health emergencies across 82 countries, delivering essential services to more than 30 million people.
"We are appealing to the better sense of countries, and of people, and asking them to invest in a healthier, safer world," Ihekweazu concluded.
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