Underfunded Emergency

The United Nations and the United States government signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday, in which the US committed a meager US$2 billion to UN-managed humanitarian funds in 2026. It comes after the United States slashed its contribution to global humanitarian aid by more than $10 billion in 2025, leaving millions without lifesaving aid and dismantling the world's largest government aid agency.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that drought continues to impact millions of people across Somalia.  Somali authorities estimate that more than 4.6 million people, or around a quarter of the population in Somalia, are being affected by the ongoing drought, with more than 104,000 people displaced in November alone due to the extreme dry conditions.

United Nations relief chief Tom Fletcher allocated US$13.5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) on Wednesday to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, DR Congo). In the midst of a severe funding crisis, $10 million will support the delivery of immediate, life-saving assistance for displaced people in DRC, while $3.5 million will bolster urgent refugee response efforts in neighboring Burundi.

As the flames of war continue to engulf Sudan, the United Nations Security Council was urged Monday to prevent the horrors of this conflict from recurring and to stop those enabling the violence from spreading instability further across the region. Escalating violence in Sudan is placing civilians at extreme risk and triggering new waves of displacement, particularly in the Kordofan region.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), hostilities in Ukraine this weekend resulted in additional civilian casualties and widespread damage to critical infrastructure.  Between Friday and early Monday morning, Ukrainian authorities reported that more than a dozen civilians were killed and over 70 others were injured, including two children. Disruptions to basic services were reported in over 270 towns and villages.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Tuesday that the scale and severity of hunger and malnutrition in Afghanistan is worsening. New food security figures from the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report show that over 17 million Afghans are facing acute hunger this winter — three million more than last year.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that, despite severe funding shortages, the UN and its humanitarian partners are continuing to respond to urgent needs in southern Syria, where they are delivering vital aid to communities amid harsh winter conditions. The US$3.2 billion humanitarian response plan for Syria is currently only 30 percent funded, with $953 million received as of mid-December.

Deep concerns persist for the tens of thousands of people believed to be trapped in the town of El Fasher, located in the western Darfur region of Sudan. However, United Nations aid agencies believe they may soon gain access to the embattled city, where famine has been confirmed. Meanwhile, in South Kordofan State, drone strikes in and around the state capital, Kadugli, and the town of Dilling, point to a rapidly deteriorating security situation.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that the security situation in eastern South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, has sharply worsened since early December following an escalation of armed clashes in Uvira, Walungu, Mwenga, Shabunda, Kabare, Fizi, and Kalehe territories. The number of people affected by the fighting has risen significantly, with preliminary reports indicating that more than half a million people have been displaced.

Amid severe underfunding in 2025, the United Nations (UN) and its partners have issued a grim warning regarding the escalating humanitarian crisis in Myanmar. According to the 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP), published Wednesday, over 16.2 million people in Myanmar, including 5 million children, will require life-saving assistance and protection next year.

The United Nations and its aid partners launched their 2026 global humanitarian appeal on Monday to raise a total of US$33 billion to support 135 million people in need through 23 country operations and six plans for refugees and migrants. The appeal aims to save millions of lives in some of the world's most crisis-stricken regions, including those affected by war, hunger, climate disasters, earthquakes, and epidemics.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) issued an alert on Thursday regarding the impact of armed violence on civilians in southeastern parts of the Central African Republic (CAR). Though the situation has improved in parts of the country, violence continues to exacerbate the situation in several regions, including the southeast, where approximately 50,000 people require humanitarian assistance.

The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) expressed grave concern on Tuesday as intensifying attacks on villages and the rapid spread of the conflict into previously safe districts forced tens of thousands of people to flee across northern Mozambique. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), recent attacks have displaced some 108,000 people from Memba District in Nampula Province alone.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is sounding the alarm over the rapidly deteriorating situation in the province of South Kivu, particularly in the territories of Fizi and Mwenga, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, DR Congo). On Wednesday, OCHA warned that more than 170,000 displaced people in one locality alone are cut off from vital aid.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Tuesday that growing instability across northern Nigeria, including a surge in attacks, is driving hunger to unprecedented levels. Despite soaring needs, the WFP will run out of resources for emergency food and nutrition assistance in December, leaving millions without lifesaving support.

As European Union and African Union leaders meet in Angola, the European Commission announced on Monday, that it will provide €143 million (US$ 165 million) in humanitarian aid, responding to continued pressure on relief operations across several crisis zones. The emergency funding will support food assistance, water and sanitation, as well as access to healthcare, helping the most vulnerable communities meet their basic needs.

Despite Colombia’s 2016 landmark peace agreement, armed groups that did not adhere to the accord continue to maintain a presence in rural areas and impose their own rules, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) warned on Friday. The humanitarian organization said the growing number of fighters and armed activities within these groups are isolating the civilian population and cutting them off from essential state services and humanitarian assistance.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warns that the global hunger crisis is deepening. The organization expects 318 million people to face crisis-level hunger or worse next year — more than double the number in 2019. However, the world's response remains "slow, fragmented, and underfunded."

Speaking at the United Nations Security Council on Monday, Joyce Msuya, the deputy head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), delivered a blunt warning: armed conflict is driving the world’s most severe hunger crises, and without decisive political action, famine conditions will worsen in several regions. Msuya stressed that today's hunger is overwhelmingly human-made.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that the severe drought in Somalia is putting millions of lives at risk, while humanitarian aid remains severely limited due to dwindling funds. On Monday, the Somali government declared a nationwide drought emergency. The drought is particularly severe in the eastern and northern regions but is spreading to central and southern Somalia as well.

A new United Nations report warns that acute food insecurity is worsening in 16 hunger hotspots across the globe, which threatens to push millions more people into famine or risk of famine, with time running out to avert widespread starvation. The report identifies armed conflict and violence, economic collapse, climate extremes, and an unprecedented decline in humanitarian funding as the main drivers of acute hunger.

United Nations officials are warning that extreme insecurity and appalling human rights violations — including mass killings, ethnic violence, and sexual violence — in the Sudanese town of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State, have triggered a dramatic surge in people forced to flee and further worsened the country's humanitarian crisis. Despite rising needs, humanitarian operations in North Darfur are on the brink of collapse in the face of severe funding shortages for the Sudan emergency.

The humanitarian crisis in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, DR Congo) continues to deteriorate amid ongoing conflict that has displaced tens of thousands of people and caused widespread hunger, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday. UN aid agencies are struggling in particular in provinces overrun by Rwanda-backed rebels from the March 23 Movement (M23). However, dramatic funding shortfalls for humanitarian operations have also contributed to the dire situation.

United Nations agencies warn that South Sudan continues to face a severe food and nutrition crisis which threatens to worsen unless urgent humanitarian action is mounted. According to the latest food security report, over half of South Sudan's population — around 7.56 million people — will experience crisis-level or worse hunger during the lean season from April to July 2026 while, in the coming months, tens of thousands are at risk of famine.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that Madagascar is experiencing a worsening humanitarian crisis, particularly in the Grand Sud and Grand Sud-Est regions, which have endured a series of droughts, cyclones, and other disasters this year and last.  The lingering impact of the recent El Niño drought and cyclone season, combined with a malaria outbreak and strained health systems, has left many communities without the means to recover.

As the situation in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State, continues to be catastrophic, more details are emerging about the atrocities committed during and after the city's fall to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on October 23. Reports indicate that nearly 500 patients and their companions at the Saudi Maternity Hospital were slaughtered on Tuesday alone. Local sources report widespread killings, abductions, maiming, and sexual violence, as well as the detention and killing of aid workers.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) are warning of a worsening humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with high levels of acute food insecurity and surging emergency hunger, particularly in the conflict-ridden eastern provinces. According to the latest food security analysis, 26.6 million Congolese people are projected to face crisis levels of acute hunger or worse by early 2026.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned on Monday of a sharp deterioration in the situation in El Fasher, the capital of Sudan’s North Darfur State. This warning comes amid reports that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured the Sudanese army headquarters in the city on Sunday. In light of the situation, UN relief chief Tom Fletcher has called for an immediate ceasefire in El Fasher, across Darfur, and throughout Sudan.

Four United Nations agencies are calling for urgent international attention to address the immense suffering and growing dangers facing the Sudanese population. Over 900 days of brutal fighting, widespread human rights violations, famine, and the collapse of essential services have pushed millions, particularly women and children, to the brink of survival.

The United Nations is sounding the alarm over the deepening humanitarian crisis in Syria, with officials warning that a severe lack of funding threatens to undermine fragile progress and exacerbate the suffering of millions. On Wednesday, UN officials briefing the UN Security Council also highlighted the urgent need for increased international support for the country's political transition, including sanctions relief and political engagement.

Wrapping up her five-day visit to the Central African Republic (CAR), UN Deputy Relief Chief Joyce Msuya said on Friday that the country stands at a crossroads and urged global solidarity with those in need. She stressed that this is the moment to transform fragile stability into lasting progress by working together across humanitarian, development, and peace efforts.

According to a new report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Haiti has surged to an unprecedented level, with over 1.4 million people forced to flee their homes due to escalating gang violence and instability. This figure is up 36 percent since the end of 2024 and represents the highest number ever recorded in the country. Meanwhile, hunger in Haiti continues to worsen, with over half of the population — 5.7 million people — facing high levels of acute food insecurity.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is warning that severe disruptions to six of its most critical humanitarian operations are expected by the end of the year due to dwindling global funding, which could push millions into emergency levels of hunger and endanger the lives of millions of vulnerable people. This warning comes at a time when overall global humanitarian funding is drying up, with less than a quarter of this year's appeal being funded, and hunger reaching record highs.

The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan has issued a blunt warning about the worsening political crisis in the country, urging the African Union and the UN Security Council to act swiftly before South Sudan descends into all-out war again. In a statement released Monday, the Commission highlighted ongoing armed violence, human rights violations, and the displacement of civilians, all of which have worsened the already dire humanitarian situation in South Sudan.

The town of El Fasher, located in Sudan's North Darfur State, once again became the scene of brutal violence over the weekend as the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continued their assault on civilians. Since Friday evening, at least 60 civilians have been killed in RSF drone attacks. This follows a series of RSF attacks earlier last week that left another 53 civilians dead and many more injured.

The Sahel region continues to grapple with a complex humanitarian crisis, with approximately 4 million people displaced across the Central Sahel countries of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and neighboring regions — around two-thirds more than five years ago. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) warns that this crisis is escalating due to a mix of factors, including insecurity, limited access to services and livelihoods, and the devastating effects of climate change.

The Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2025, published on Thursday, paints a bleak picture of the world's progress towards the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of achieving zero hunger by 2030. With at least 56 countries projected to miss the low hunger threshold, and 42 currently experiencing serious or alarming levels of hunger, the report emphasizes the need for renewed commitment and urgent action.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that the UN and its humanitarian partners are continuing to deliver aid in southern Syria amid a volatile security situation and limited funding. OCHA states that the security situation in southern Syria remains unpredictable, with ongoing incidents contributing to rural instability.

The World Food Programme (WFP) issued a dire warning on Friday, highlighting that millions in Somalia are at risk of worsening hunger and malnutrition due to critical funding shortages. These shortages have forced the United Nations agency to reduce its emergency food assistance support by over two-thirds. By November, the WFP will only be able to provide assistance to 350,000 people, down from 1.1 million in August.

The volatile security situation in Ituri province, located in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC, DR Congo), continues to pose a significant threat to civilians, forcing thousands to flee their homes and disrupting the delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid. According to the latest update from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), local authorities estimate that over 1 million people are currently displaced in Ituri province alone.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) made a significant move in addressing the escalating crisis in Haiti by adopting a resolution on Tuesday to transition the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission into a multinational “Gang Suppression Force” (GSF). This shift comes amid worsening humanitarian and security situations and increasing violence in the Caribbean island nation.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) expressed concern on Tuesday about a sharp increase in violence perpetrated by non-state armed groups (NSAGs) against civilians in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province, with tens of thousands forced to flee their homes. While some aid agencies have had to temporarily suspend relief activities due to insecurity, other humanitarian operations have been brought to a halt due to a severe lack of funding.

Rohingya communities in Myanmar’s northern Rakhine State are facing forced labor, food and health crises, severe movement restrictions, and escalating armed conflict, said the rights group Amnesty International on Monday, issuing a warning against premature decisions to repatriate refugees from Bangladesh. This warning comes as the United Nations General Assembly (GA) is set to convene a “High-Level Conference on the Situation of Rohingya Muslims and Other Minorities in Myanmar” on Tuesday.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns of a sharp decline in the humanitarian situation in El Fasher, the besieged capital of Sudan’s North Darfur State. OCHA reports that civilians in El Fasher continue to endure relentless attacks, acute hunger, and cholera. The population faces daily threats from shelling, airstrikes, and drone attacks — with fierce clashes reported in north-eastern districts of the state capital in recent weeks.

The United Nations' top humanitarian official issued a blunt warning on Monday about a mounting "age of indifference" as funding for essential aid programs continues to dwindle. Addressing journalists at the UN headquarters in New York, Tom Fletcher, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, highlighted a critical shortfall in resources and the escalating threats facing humanitarian workers worldwide.

The humanitarian crisis in Yemen is spiraling out of control, with a staggering number of people facing hunger, including extreme conditions, and the United Nations’ ability to deliver aid severely hampered by ongoing conflict, funding shortages, and arbitrary detentions. This was the stark warning delivered on Monday by UN relief chief Tom Fletcher during a briefing to the UN Security Council.

Amid escalating violence in Haiti, United Nations relief chief Tom Fletcher made an impassioned plea for international support to ease immense suffering. Fletcher spent three days in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, meeting with people in urgent need, government officials, humanitarian partners, and diplomats. Meanwhile, the UN is fast-tracking support for displaced and host communities in Haiti, in light of the dire situation and massive funding shortfalls.