The Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterresmade this Wednesday a Urgent call for the international community to raise funds to care for people in extremely vulnerable situations.
His intervention came a day after the United Nations called for $33 billion to be raised to meet global humanitarian needs 2026.
“We are coming together in very difficult times. The need for humanitarian assistance is increasing.” Crises multiply. And the humanitarian system is running out of resources, millions of lives are at stake,” Guterres said during a high-level event in new York to encourage contributions to the United Nations Central Emergency Relief Fund.
The UN chief said that since its inception in 2006, this fund has distributed nearly $10 billion in life-saving assistance to more than a hundred countries in coordination with more than 20 organizations and hundreds of partners, bringing relief to tens of millions of people each year.
At the same time, he emphasized that the fund “It works because it is fast, flexible and fairand often arrives before other sources of support.” But Guterres warned that “the humanitarian system faces its biggest test today,” even as the UN tries to “make the most of every dollar available.”
In 2025, donations will “drop dramatically like never before”said the former head of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He added: “The projected contributions for this year are expected to be the lowest since 2015, a dangerous trend that weakens the ability to respond.”
The lack of resources is already having a visible impact. “Countless people have died, others are starving or left without health care, shelter or protection,” lamented the Secretary-General, who reiterated: “This is a time when we are asked to do more and more with less and less.“.
According to the international organization, of the total 33 billion dollars requested, around 23 billion dollars are considered priority for supporting 87 million people in particularly critical situations. This demand arises in a context where 239 million people are in humanitarian need, a figure that seems unattainable given the cuts and decline in international funding.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) announced Monday that it will seek $33 billion through 2026, aiming to support about 135 million people People affected by wars, climate disasters, earthquakes, epidemics and food shortages.
This year’s collection fell to $15 billion, the lowest amount the agency recorded in the last decade.
Next year, OCHA expects to receive more than $4.1 billion intended to support about three million people in the Palestinian territories, $2.9 billion for Sudan – currently considered the largest displacement crisis – and $2.8 billion for a regional response plan around Syria. The program includes interventions in 50 countries,
“Hunger increased in 2025,” said Tom Fletcher, director of the bureau. “Food budgets shrank even as famine struck parts of Sudan and Gaza. Health systems collapsed. Disease outbreaks increased.” Millions were left without basic food, medical care and protection. “Programs to protect women and girls have been cut and hundreds of aid organizations have been closed,” he added.
The UN aid coordinator had requested a total of $47 billion this year, with the aim of helping 190 million people around the world. However, due to reduced financial support, the Company and its network of humanitarian partners were able to reach 25 million fewer people in 2025 than in 2024, reflecting the concrete impact of the decline in funding on meeting basic needs and protection during global crises.
(With information from Europa Press)
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