Nearly ten years of armed conflict in Yemen have caused tens of thousands of civilian casualties and forced millions to flee their homes, making Yemen one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. More than half of the country's population - 19.5 million people - are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection in 2025, with Yemen's most vulnerable and marginalized groups, including women and girls, at greatest risk. More than 11,500 children have been killed or maimed since the beginning of the conflict, and thousands more have been recruited as child soldiers.
Those who want to learn more about humanitarian work around the world can take a look at websites that are mainly used by professionals. DONARE has compiled an overview of internet sites and digital services aimed at experts and insiders in the field of humanitarian aid. Some of the humanitarian information services can also be helpful for journalists researching crisis situations.
Worldwide, there are millions of people suffering in humanitarian crises. Many of these people are in urgent need of international assistance to survive. Most of these people suffer hidden from the eyes of the world public. At the start of 2025, some 307 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection. DONARE would like to draw your attention to some of the world's worst humanitarian emergencies.
Protection services are severely lacking for refugees and migrants - including survivors of human trafficking - making perilous journeys from the Sahel and Horn of Africa towards North Africa and Europe, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) warns. In a report released 29 July 2022, the eve of World Day against Trafficking in Persons, UNHCR mapped protection services available to asylum-seekers, refugees, and migrants as they travel along these routes.
Thank you to all who pay attention to the suffering and needs of people in crises around the world. Thank you to all who do not close their eyes to wars, conflicts and human rights violations worldwide. Thank you to all who pay attention to humanitarian needs, even if it is often painful. Thank you to all who recognize the grave consequences that climate change is already having on the survival of millions.
The Central African Republic (CAR) has been among the most neglected humanitarian crises for several years in a row. The country has been wracked by violent conflict since 2012. Nearly half of its population – 45 percent – requires humanitarian aid in 2025. While insecurity and violence against civilians continue to force Central Africans to flee their homes, humanitarian and development actors are helping many internally displaced persons and refugees to resume a normal life after several years of displacement.
Faith-based organizations, particularly Christian charities, play a significant role in providing humanitarian assistance around the world. If you prefer donating to a faith-based organization as opposed to a secular humanitarian organization, DONARE has selected thirteen charity organizations and one alliance that deliver emergency humanitarian aid needed in crises worldwide.
The economic crisis in Sri Lanka is turning into one of the country's worst humanitarian crises in decades, while 6.7 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) warned in a statement today. Millions of families are facing shortages of food, fuel, cooking gas, essential supplies and medicines as the humanitarian impact of the economic crisis continues to multiply.
Children endure horrific conditions in armed conflict, according to the Annual Report of the United Nations Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict published this week. The year 2021 saw a deadly mix of conflict escalation, military coups and takeovers, protracted and new conflicts, as well as violations of international law, all of which had a devastating impact on the protection of children around the world.
Many people find it preferable to donate for a specific purpose. They want to be sure that their donation will reach those in need and will be used for a specific mission. The designation of a donation purpose is experienced as concrete and binding. Behind the motivation, there is sometimes also a feeling of mistrust toward an aid organization.
The German aid organization Welthungerhilfe warns that the number of people suffering from hunger is rising worldwide, and at the same time food and transport prices are exploding, so that the hunger crises are continuing to spread globally. According to the non-governmental organization (NGO), the situation has become particularly severe in the Horn of Africa, where 17 million people currently do not have enough food to eat. Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya are experiencing the worst drought in 40 years.
Tired of donating? No money to give? Several humanitarian aid organizations allow you to set up and run your own fundraiser for a specific occasion or on a topic of your own choosing. A distinction must be made between traditional fundraising campaigns, for example as part of an event, and online fundraising campaigns. Many non-governmental organizations offer both.
Medical humanitarian assistance and support for health services are urgently needed in crises around the world. A UN agency and several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) specialize in providing health care in humanitarian crises or in the urgent delivery of medicines to people affected by conflicts and disasters.
According to the State of Food and Nutrition in the World 2022 (SOFI) report, as many as 828 million people went hungry in 2021. The study paints a bleak picture of global food security. Conflict, climate extremes, economic shocks and rising inequalities have led to unprecedented numbers of families being driven into hunger.
Who is the world's largest humanitarian donor? From year to year, the numbers vary on how much money governments and supranational organizations contribute to global humanitarian emergencies. Some countries give much more than others, while other governments keep a low profile. But there were also some stable trends over several years up to 2025. Different calculations lead to slightly diverging results. DONARE's rankings are based on financial data provided by the United Nations.
