In the first half of 2024, the number of people targeted with humanitarian assistance and protection increased by 7 million due to new appeals to respond to climate shocks in Burundi, Madagascar, Zambia and Zimbabwe. This brought the total people targeted under the 2024 Global Humanitarian Overview to 188 million, through 32 country plans and 9 regional plans.
Between January and May 2024, humanitarians were able to reach at least 39.7 million people with some form of humanitarian assistance. However, this represents just 27 per cent of people targeted, with humanitarian operations worldwide struggling to deliver due to underfunding and many severely impacted by access constraints. Furthermore, of the people counted as ‘reached’, many received only one form of assistance, one time, during these five months, with partners stressing the urgency of delivering a fully funded and comprehensive response.
Building partnerships with local actors and communities
To improve the quality and reach of assistance, humanitarians strengthened partnerships with locals actors, heeded feedback from communities and enhanced early and anticipatory action. In Colombia, as part of the Flagship Initiative, 120 national and local NGOs were mapped, enabling their capacities and community-based action to be fully reflected as part of the humanitarian response. In Ukraine, 4.4 million people received assistance in Q1, through 500 partner organizations, 80 per cent of them local and national actors. In Sudan, following the conflict in April 2023, networks of local actors and volunteers came together to help their communities survive, forming and managing Emergency Response Rooms (ERR). These community-based initiatives provide essential services—from communal kitchens, protection initiatives, transport options, access to food and water, and psychosocial support—to people affected by the conflict. The Sudan Humanitarian Fund provided $6.5 million to keep ERRs running in the first six months of 2024 (already double the amount provided for the whole of 2023), emphasizing flexibility in the response so ERRs could be agile, as well as capacity-building components to strengthen the response capacity of community volunteers in the medium to long-term. In 10 countries, the implementation of a dedicated grant from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) was used to finance sustainable initiatives that empower crisis-affected communities to shape humanitarian responses, while in Cameroon, 71 per cent of feedback received was used to improve operations. To strengthen early warning systems in Latin America, drought-tolerant seeds were distributed in Guatemala and Nicaragua, social protection systems were supported in Ecuador, and humanitarian goods were pre-positioned in Peru, through the World Food Programme (WFP) and partners.
Empowering communities through Multi-Purpose Cash (MPC)
In many crises, humanitarian partners worked to deliver multi-purpose cash, enhancing people’s choice and dignity. In Ukraine, partners surpassed the milestone of 1 billion people reached with MPC since the conflict began in February 2022 (with more than $2 billion disbursed). In Bangladesh, nearly 2,000 people—including over 1,100 host community members and over 700 Rohingya refugees—received cash assistance, according to World Vision International. In Afghanistan, over 151,000 people received cash assistance across 42 districts. In Cameroon, 109 primary school children (44 per cent girls) in the Makary subdivision received cash support for end-of-cycle examination fees. In Lebanon, regular, unconditional cash grants strengthened 243,284 households' ability to meet basic non-food needs (Syria Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan – 3RP). In response to the Sudan regional crisis, 71,000 individuals were relocated or supported with transportation cash allowances (Sudan Regional Refugee Response Plan).
Kaya State, Myanmar
A girl hugs ger grandmother at an IDP camp. Escalating conflict across Myanmar is driving displacement to unprecedented levels: as of June 2024, 3 million people were displaced; this is equivalent to the original full-year projected total for 2024.
UNOCHA/Siegried ModolaResponding to dire food insecurity and malnutrition
Despite funding shortfalls causing programmes to be reduced or stopped in many locations, humanitarians continued to deliver time-sensitive food and nutrition assistance to save lives. At the same time, emergency agriculture and livelihood support enabled communities to meet their own needs, even in remote rural areas and during conflict. In Sudan, 2.6 million people across 14 states received general food and cash assistance, nutritional support, school feeding and resilience-building support. In Mali, nearly 500,000 people received emergency food distributions, 99 per cent in the form of cash vouchers. In Yemen, an average of 2.9 million people were reached each month with food assistance and nearly 331,000 people received nutrition support.
Supporting health care in times of crisis
Responding to emergencies around the world, humanitarian actors and their partners continued to provide access to critical vaccinations, life-saving health services and mental health support. In Afghanistan, approximately 2.4 million people accessed health services. In Mali, nearly 1,400 people received mental health services. In Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, more than one million outpatient consultations were conducted, 65 per cent of these were for Rohingya refugees (Rohingya Joint Response Plan).
Sustaining access to water, sanitation, hygiene and education
Humanitarians worked intensively to ensure that water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) were available and to deliver education to crisis-affected children, even in the most remote areas. Some 15 million people were reached with immediate WASH assistance in 28 countries. In Ethiopia specifically, over 1.1 million people received safe drinking water and nearly 80 per cent of them benefited from durable water solutions (WASH Cluster). In Ukraine, 3.4 million people were reached with water systems and emergency water supply, mainly in regions where critical water systems/heating have been heavily damaged. In Afghanistan, more than 554,000 children received educational support, including community-based education, and learning materials. In Cameroon, over 32,000 people—60 per cent of them female—were able to access distance learning, psychosocial support to children, recreational kits and sports material.
Protecting people impacted by conflict and climate emergencies
Humanitarian organizations provided holistic protection services, including gender-based violence interventions, legal aid and psychological support. In Afghanistan, over 1 million people received protection assistance. More than 7,000 returned migrants received reintegration assistance through reception centres in Guatemala and 50,000 refugees, migrants and host community members received protection assistance in Honduras. In Uganda, 1,380 unaccompanied or separated South Sudanese refugee children were supported in safe and appropriate alternative care, such as kinship care and foster care arrangements (South Sudan Regional Refugee Response Plan).
Assisting and protecting people on the move, including refugees, migrants and the communities hosting them
Never before have so many people been forced to leave their country to seek safety. Humanitarian partners worked together through nine regional plans to help refugees, migrants and host communities to meet their basic needs. In Bangladesh, nearly 917,500 Rohingya refugees received monthly food assistance through e-vouchers, under the Rohingya Joint Response Plan. In Lebanon, more than 660,000 subsidized primary healthcare consultations were conducted, including antenatal care and mental health consultations, through the Syria 3RP. Some 223,000 vulnerable migrants and affected host community members across Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Yemen received life-saving assistance and reintegration support through the Horn of Africa Migrant Response Plan (MRP). Over 80,900 Afghan refugees benefited from access to primary healthcare services in Pakistan through the Afghanistan Regional Refugee Response Plan. Nearly 5,000 people used feedback and response mechanism to voice concerns and feedback regarding the response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis under the Ukraine Regional Refugee Response Plan. And some 20,200 Venezuelan refugees and migrants received specialized child protection services and community-based mental health and psychosocial support to children and their caregivers under the Regional Inter-Agency Response Plan for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela (RMRP).
Notations: Data presented above, unless otherwise specified, covers the first quarter of 2024 and was provided by OCHA offices.
Listening to the voices of affected communities
In Cameroon, 71 per cent of feedback received was used to improve operations.
OCHAFood, nutrition and resilience
In Sudan, 2.6 million people across 14 states received general food and cash assistance, nutritional support, school feeding and resilience-building support.
WFPCash assistance
In Lebanon, regular, unconditional cash grants strengthened 243,284 households' ability to meet basic non-food needs.
Syria 3RPWASH
15 million people have been reached with immediate WASH assistance in 28 countries.
WASH ClusterHealth care
In Afghanistan, approximately 2.4 million people accessed health services.
OCHAWorking with local partners
The Sudan Humanitarian Fund has provided $6.4 million (double the amount provided in 2023) to keep community-based Emergency Response Rooms running.
OCHAChild protection
20,200 people received specialized child protection services and community-based mental health and psychosocial support to children and their caregivers.
Venezuela RMRPEducation
In Cameroon, over 32,000 people – 60 per cent of them female – benefitted from distance learning, psychosocial support, recreational kits and sports material.
OCHANext article
References
- For a full list of all current plans, please see HumanitarianAction.info.