In September 2024, hostilities in Lebanon were massively escalated by Israel, with thousands of airstrikes carried out widely across Lebanese territory. On November 27, a fragile ceasefire agreement came into effect. The escalation of the war caused significant civilian casualties and injuries, and triggered mass displacement, with more than 1.7 million people forced to flee. Before the recent deterioration of the situation throughout Lebanon, the country was already in the grip of a protracted humanitarian crisis.
Somalis are facing one of the world's most complex humanitarian crises. This crisis is fueled by conflict, displacement, food insecurity, political instability, climate shocks, poverty, and economic decline. Although Somalia's humanitarian needs remain high, reduced donor funding in 2025 forced humanitarian agencies to scale back or shut down critical programs, drastically reducing life-saving operations. Severe drought conditions in Somalia are endangering millions of lives amid dwindling funds.
The humanitarian crisis in Mozambique's northern province of Cabo Delgado continues to force people to flee their homes. Hundreds of thousands of people remain displaced due to violence perpetrated by non-state armed groups (NSAGs), and hundreds of thousands of returnees in conflict-affected areas continue to be highly vulnerable. An estimated 5.2 million children, women, and men across Mozambique are in need of humanitarian aid in 2025, including some 1.3 million in Cabo Delgado and neighboring Niassa and Nampula provinces. Mozambique is also highly susceptible to climate shocks and frequent natural hazards such as drought, floods and tropical storms.
United Nations Secretary-General AntĂłnio Guterres told the UN Security Council Friday that two months into Israelâs war against Gaza âwe are at a breaking point,â and urged members to push for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire, but the United States used again its veto to prevent the council from demanding the urgent needed stop in the attacks. Meanwhile, UN leaders says the situation in the tiny enclave is apocalyptic and there is a severe risk of collapse of the humanitarian system.
While civilians are being targeted or indiscriminately attacked in several regions of Sudan, with hundreds reportedly killed, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that Sudan's humanitarian crisis continues to intensify as cholera spreads throughout the country, flooding displaces communities, and thousands of internally displaced people (IDPs) return to areas with little to no support.
The overall humanitarian situation in Ethiopia has improved significantly over the past two years, but 21.4 million people were still in need of emergency assistance in 2024. Millions of Ethiopians remain displaced by conflict, insecurity, and climate-related shocks such as droughts or floods, as well as other natural disasters such as earthquakes. Ethiopia faces multiple drivers of instability. Years of drought and conflict have left millions of Ethiopians without enough to eat. Many have no water, medicine, food or shelter and fear for their lives.
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The heads of more than a dozen United Nations agencies and international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have issued a rare joint statement Sunday calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Gaza officials reported today that more than 10,000 Palestinians - including more than 4,100 children - have been killed since October 7 by Israelâs retaliatory attacks against the tiny enclave.
The latest food security report on Haiti - out this week - shows that a record 5.7 million people - more than half of all Haitians - are expected to experience acute hunger between now and June 2025, driven by relentless gang violence and ongoing economic collapse. Rising armed violence has also fueled massive displacement as armed gangs seek to expand their control, forcing more than one million people from their homes.
United Nations agencies warn that South Sudan continues to face a severe food and nutrition crisis which threatens to worsen unless urgent humanitarian action is mounted. According to the latest food security report, over half of South Sudan's population â around 7.56 million people â will experience crisis-level or worse hunger during the lean season from April to July 2026 while, in the coming months, tens of thousands are at risk of famine.
Eight years after the peace accord between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) was signed, the humanitarian situation in Colombia is still marked by large scale internal displacement and insecurity due to armed violence. The country has endured more than half a century of intense armed conflict, perpetuated by widespread illegal drug production and trafficking and rooted in territorial control by armed groups. The increased impact of natural hazards related to climate change and the integration of 2.9 million Venezuelan refugees are also driving humanitarian needs in Colombia.
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.
The North of Central America (NCA) â also called the Northern Triangle of Central America (NTCA) â is a sub-region comprising El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras and one of the most dangerous places on earth. Nicaragua is bordering the Northern Triangle. Gang violence, threats, extortion, persecution and sexual violence have forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes in search of safety. In 2025, more than 4.6 million people in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras are in need of humanitarian aid as the three countries continue to face violence, food insecurity, extreme weather events and mixed movements of refugees and migrants.
The eighth edition of the "Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region" conference took place in Brussels on Monday, but saw only meager pledges from leading donors such as the European Union and the United States for this year's humanitarian response in Syria. In total, more than US$8.9 billion is needed to respond to the Syria crisis, making it the United Nations' largest humanitarian appeal worldwide.
The United Nations Security Council overcame weeks of inaction and bickering Wednesday to issue a call for "extended humanitarian pauses" in the Gaza Strip, especially for the protection of children, only to have the Israeli government immediately reject the measure. Meanwhile, Israeli bombardments from the air, sea, and land continue across Gaza, killing hundreds of civilians every day; the majority of them are children and women.
Political turmoil and socioeconomic decline in Venezuela have led to the worst humanitarian crisis in South America and one of the largest migration crises in the world. Venezuela is experiencing a political and economic crisis marked by hyperinflation, limited food availability, medicine shortages, violent crime, and human right violations. Since 2014, more than 6.7 million Venezuelans have fled to Latin American and Caribbean countries, out of nearly 8 million Venezuelans who have left their country. In 2025, at least 7.9 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in the South American country.
Global hunger levels remain alarmingly high. At least 37 million people are on the brink of famine or are already experiencing famine conditions. Although the world produces more than enough food to feed everyone, more than eight percent of people worldwide still go hungry. In 2024, over 295 million people were acutely food insecure and in urgent need of assistance, with armed conflict being the primary cause of acute hunger.
Acting UN relief chief Joyce Msuya says what Israeli forces are doing in the besieged northern Gaza Strip cannot be allowed to continue. In a statement on Saturday, she warned that "the entire population of north Gaza is at risk of dying". The urgent call and warning come after Israeli troops reportedly stormed one of the last functioning hospitals in northern Gaza, and as civilians, including children and the disabled, face increasingly horrific conditions in the war-torn territory.
Donations can make a big difference and are desperately needed, but there are many more ways to support humanitarian work and to have an impact. Why not help those in dire need? If you are looking for some ideas, how to support people trapped in humanitarian crises, here they are.
The world is plagued by further humanitarian crises that should neither be forgotten nor neglected. Though DONARE presently does not compile a complete crisis profile, here are snapshots of some of these humanitarian situations. The emergency situations include: the crisis in Madagascar due to ongoing food insecurity and vulnerability to climate-related disasters; the crisis in Malawi due to drought and flooding; and the ongoing crisis in the Western Sahara.
