According to a UN statement on Monday, around 180 million people worldwide are in need of life-saving assistance, and the organization will require $46.4 billion in funding next year to provide it.
According to the UN, the humanitarian situation around the world is “bleak” for 2024, with war, natural disasters, and failing economies “wreaking havoc” on the most vulnerable.
The UN stated that in addition to the Gaza Strip, other hotspots in the Middle East included Sudan and Afghanistan, and that significant international relief efforts were also required in these areas.
Nonetheless, due to a decline in donations, the yearly appeal’s scope and target audience were reduced from 2023 onward.
“Humanitarians are saving lives, fighting hunger, protecting children, pushing back epidemics, and providing shelter and sanitation in many of the world’s most inhumane contexts,” UN aid chief Martin Griffiths said in a statement.
“But the necessary support from the international community is not keeping pace with the needs,” he said.
Only 35% of the $56.7 billion requested in the 2023 appeal was granted, representing one of the largest financial gaps in recent memory. It made it possible for UN organizations to provide 128 million people with protection and aid.
With only a few weeks remaining, 2023 will probably be the first year since 2010 in which less money was donated to humanitarian causes than in the year before. As a result, the UN reduced its request this time to $46.4 billion and will now concentrate on helping those who are most in need.
