GENEVA, Switzerland – In the wake of the deepest funding cuts ever to hit the international humanitarian sector, the top United Nations aid official today presented the global “hyper-prioritized” appeal aiming to help 114 million people facing life-threatening needs across the world.
The plan seeks US$29 billion in funding. It further prioritizes, but does not replace, the Global Humanitarian Overview 2025 (GHO) launched last December.
“We have been forced into a triage of human survival,” said under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator Tom Fletcher. “The math is cruel, and the consequences are heartbreaking. Too many people will not get the support they need, but we will save as many lives as we can with the resources we are given.”
The GHO covers more than 70 countries and aims to assist nearly 180 million vulnerable people, including refugees. It currently calls for $44 billion. Nearly halfway through the year, just $5.6 billion – less than 13 percent – has been received.
When reprioritizing the individual country plans, the focus has been on two key goals: First, to reach the people and places facing the most urgent needs, using a scale that ranks the severity of humanitarian need. Areas classified as level 4 or 5 – indicating extreme or catastrophic conditions – were the starting point.
Second, it prioritized life-saving support based on the planning already done for the 2025 humanitarian response. This will ensure that limited resources are directed where they can do the most good – as quickly as possible.
Humanitarian partners have kept protection at the heart of the reprioritized response plans. Rather than limiting lifesaving aid to a fixed list, they have focused on meeting the most urgent needs in ways that respect the dignity of affected people. This includes cash assistance where possible, allowing people to choose what they need most.
“Brutal funding cuts leave us with brutal choices,” Fletcher said. “All we ask is 1 percent of what you chose to spend last year on war. But this isn’t just an appeal for money – it’s a call for global responsibility, for human solidarity, for a commitment to end the suffering.”