After a year of heightened insecurity and violence against civilians, the humanitarian situation in North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) is now at a tipping point, putting millions of civilians at risk, the international humanitarian organization Danish Refugee Council (DRC) warned on Friday. Since early February, a resurgence of fighting between the Congolese army and the M23 armed group has forced thousands of people from their homes.
Next year will set another record for humanitarian relief requirements, with 339 million people in need of assistance in 69 countries, an increase of 65 million people compared to the same time last year, the United Nations (UN) and humanitarian partner organizations said today. The estimated cost of the humanitarian response going into 2023 is US$51.5 billion (EUR 49.3 billion), a 25 per cent increase compared to the beginning of 2022.
The Central African Republic (CAR) has been one of the world's most neglected humanitarian crises for several consecutive years. Ravaged by violence since 2012, the country remains in dire need of support. Conflict, epidemics, and climate disasters continue to disrupt the lives of people in CAR, leaving 2.3 million people — more than one-third of the population — in need of humanitarian aid this year.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced Tuesday the pause of general food distributions in areas of Yemen under the Sanaa Based Authorities' (SBA) control. The pause is driven mainly by limited funding and the absence of an agreement with the authorities on a smaller program that matches available resources to the neediest families. Sanaa and northern regions of Yemen are under the control of the Ansar-Allah movement - also known as the Houthi group.
International donors have convened today in Geneva to jump-start funding for the humanitarian operation in Yemen. The high-level event was being hosted by the UN Secretary-General and the Governments of Sweden and Switzerland. Despite a six-month truce in 2022, widespread suffering persists in the country mainly due to the deteriorating economy and the collapse of basic services.
Amid the worst malnutrition crisis to hit north-east Nigeria in five years, the United Nations relief chief and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, has released $6 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to respond to the humanitarian crisis in the region. In a statement on Monday, Fletcher stressed the need to deliver food to those in urgent need and establish systems to mitigate the risk of future crises.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Wednesday launched a Flash Appeal for more than $2.8 billion to allow UN agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to respond to the urgent needs of 3.1 million people in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Meanwhile, Israeli bombardment of much of Gaza continues, resulting in further civilian deaths, displacement and destruction.
The heads of United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) warned in a rare joint statement on Tuesday that escalating conflict is driving record levels of displacement, hunger and gender-based violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) said that without urgent international action, the situation threatens to push the DRC to the brink of catastrophe.
The United Nations and humanitarian partner organizations have today launched the 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) for South Sudan, targeting 6 million children, women, and men with the most acute needs. In the forthcoming year, 9 million people in the country - a slight decrease from 2023 - are projected to be in need of some form of humanitarian assistance. Among those requiring humanitarian aid will be 4.9 million children.
For the second year in a row, Burkina Faso is the world's most neglected displacement crisis, according to a new report by the international humanitarian organization Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). According to the analysis released Monday, for the first time all three countries in the central Sahel - Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger - are among the top five most ignored crises. Other countries on this year's list are: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Honduras, South Sudan, and Sudan.
Giving back to others by volunteering your time and skills can be rewarding and impactful. There are several opportunities to volunteer in humanitarian aid around the world, particularly for young people and those with extensive work experience. Volunteering can also be a good way to gain insight if you are considering a career in the humanitarian sector at home or abroad, or if you want to get a foot in the door at the United Nations.
In Niger, a country already affected by multiple crises, humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are warning that further instability could strongly deteriorate the living conditions of the most vulnerable people, and hamper the humanitarian response. In a joined statement Saturday, the NGOs said the combination of sanctions and conflict could have devastating effects on the lives of over 4.3 million people in the country who are already in need of humanitarian assistance.
The heads of more than a dozen United Nations agencies and international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have issued a rare joint statement Friday calling for action to address the crisis gripping the Central Sahel as exacerbating humanitarian and protection needs are threatening to reverse development gains. In 2024, some 17 million people – one fifth of the population - in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection.
Six months of war have plunged Sudan into one of the worst "humanitarian nightmares" in recent history, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, said on Sunday, calling on the warring parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law, and urging donors to step up their support. He also highlighted the growing need for humanitarian assistance in neighboring countries, to which more than a million people have already fled.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) warns that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is being overlooked as the world’s attention shifts to other parts of the Middle East. Meanwhile, conditions in Gaza are deteriorating at an alarming pace. On Monday, the IRC said there is a real risk that funding will decline, which would slow the already constrained humanitarian response at a time when needs are extremely high.
In the latest setback for Myanmar's military rulers, resistance forces have seized near-total control of a key border town on the main land trade route between Myanmar and Thailand. Amid a worsening humanitarian crisis, conflict has escalated in several states and regions of the country. Fighting between the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF), ethnic armed organizations (EAOs), and People's Defense Forces (PDFs) continues to exacerbate the humanitarian situation.
The United Nations, humanitarian partners and the Somali government have Tuesday released the 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) for Somalia, which seeks US$1.6 billion to help 5.2 million of the 6.9 million people in need of life-saving humanitarian assistance and protection this year. Although a historic multi-year drought ended in 2023 and Somalia successfully averted famine, humanitarian needs in the country remain high.
United Nations officials say they are deeply concerned by the alarming deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the eastern province of North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo, DRC). According to the UN humanitarian office (OCHA), clashes have resumed in several parts of the towns of Masisi, Rutshuru and Sake, while fighting is also moving closer to the town of Kanyabanyonga.
Cameroon, Ethiopia, and Mozambique are the three most neglected displacement crises in the world, according to a new report from the non-governmental organization (NGO) Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). The international humanitarian aid agency says that while shifting domestic priorities, economic uncertainty, and political fatigue have led to severe cuts in support, decision-makers must recognize that displacement is a shared responsibility that cannot be ignored.
The Syrian conflict has caused immense human suffering for people both inside and outside the country. Since 2011, hundreds of thousands of Syrians have been killed and maimed, and millions have been forced to flee their homes. In December 2024, Syria experienced a dramatic turn of events when rebel forces took control of the capital, Damascus, and President Bashar al-Assad resigned and fled the country following a swift offensive across Syria. This raised hopes that the 14-year civil war was coming to an end. Although Syria entered a new era in 2025, the humanitarian crisis is far from over.
