Oslo — “All illicit financial flows are immoral, with deeply negative effects on people and planet.” As humanitarians scramble for cash, high-profile calls for “innovative finance” are proliferating – often with the intention of tapping the private sector to further aid policy objectives. A new report, however, takes an arguably more effective approach, highlighting the…
At least 326 humanitarians were killed in the line of duty across 21 countries during 2025, bringing the total killed over three years to over 1,010. The International Red Cross warned the Security Council on Wednesday that “we are losing our humanity in war.” Of that total, more than 560 died in Gaza and the…
The UN and partners are seeking $23 billion to provide lifesaving support next year to 87 million people worldwide affected by war, climate disasters, earthquakes, epidemics and crop failures. This is the immediate priority of the $33 billion Global Humanitarian Overview 2026, launched on Monday, which aims to reach 135 million people overall in 50…
With the end of the year fast approaching, humanitarians are urging donors to step up support for their operations which remain underfunded due to brutal cuts to aid budgets. The $45.3 billion needed for life-saving activities throughout 2025 was just 21 per cent funded as of September, with nearly $9.6 billion received, the UN aid…
Geneva — Civil society movements are carrying the mantle of humanitarian values that national and global institutions have all too willingly abandoned. I recently returned from New York, where I attended the opening of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) and the annual week of side events that accompany it. This year,…
With the humanitarian sector “under-funded, overstretched, and literally under attack” as crises continue in Gaza, Sudan and beyond, international support is needed more than ever, the UN’s top aid official said on Wednesday in Geneva. Tom Fletcher was speaking at the annual stock-take of his sector known as the ECOSOC Humanitarian Affairs Segment, which brings…
