The appeal is smaller in scope because of major cuts in global funding.
The UN has launched a plan to raise at least twenty three billion dollars to assist eighty seven million people in some of the world’s most dangerous and war torn regions. These include Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, Haiti and Myanmar.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said this period was marked by brutality, impunity and indifference. He noted the ferocity of killings, the disregard for international law and the horrific levels of sexual violence he had witnessed on the ground in 2025.
He added that this was a time when global rules and systems were weakening and when the basic principles that supported peaceful coexistence were under attack. He warned that people’s ability to sense danger and empathise with others was being eroded by distraction and apathy.
Fletcher criticised political leaders who celebrated cuts in humanitarian assistance for malnourished people in war affected countries.
Given the lack of global concern for the suffering of millions, the UN plans to seek thirty three billion dollars to support one hundred thirty five million people in 2026. However, this goal will be difficult to meet because of reductions in foreign aid by the United States.
Fletcher said the prioritised appeal was based on painful life and death decisions. He urged Washington to oversee reforms that improve the efficiency of aid delivery and to renew its commitment to helping humanity.
According to the UN, around two hundred forty million people living in conflict zones and disaster affected areas require emergency assistance.
In 2025, the UN appealed for forty seven billion dollars. By November, it had received only twelve billion dollars, the lowest level in ten years. The shortfall meant the UN was able to assist ninety eight million people, which was twenty five million fewer than the year before.
UN data shows that humanitarian aid for 2025 dropped sharply to two point seven billion dollars, down from eleven billion dollars in 2024.
For the 2026 appeal, Gaza, the West Bank and Sudan are among the highest priorities.
Fletcher noted that the UN was asking for slightly more than one percent of the amount the world currently spends on arms and defence.
