The United Nations has sharply reduced its humanitarian funding appeal for 2026 to $23 billion, nearly half of the $47 billion requested for 2025, as global donor support continues to fall despite record humanitarian needs.
The appeal forms the core of the UN’s $33 billion Global Humanitarian Overview (GHO) 2026, aimed at delivering life-saving assistance to millions affected by conflicts, climate-related disasters, epidemics and food crises. The announcement was made on Monday during the official launch of the 2026 GHO.
According to the UN, this year’s request will prioritise the 87 million people in most immediate danger, even though the GHO estimates that 135 million people across 50 countries currently require humanitarian aid.
“This appeal sets out where we need to focus our collective energy first: life by life,” UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said.
Fletcher warned that steep funding declines are forcing the organisation into difficult choices, leaving humanitarian agencies overstretched and operating with minimal resources in increasingly dangerous environments.
“We are overstretched, underfunded, and under attack… There is not enough water in the tank. And we’re being shot at,” he said, as reported by Reuters.
In 2025, the UN had sought around $47 billion, but that request was later trimmed after major donor cuts emerged, particularly from the United States under President Donald Trump, as well as other long-standing European contributors including Germany.
The 2025 humanitarian appeal ultimately received only $12 billion, the lowest in ten years forcing programme shutdowns, particularly those supporting women and girls, and the closure of hundreds of aid organisations. The year also recorded over 380 humanitarian workers killed, the highest toll ever documented.
