Global Humanitarian Overview 2024

Middle East and North Africa

People in Need at launch (Dec. 2023)
53.8 million
People Targeted at launch (Dec. 2023)
36.8 million
Requirements (US$) at launch (Dec. 2023)
$13.9 billion

The ongoing geopolitical tensions in Middle East and North African region continue to fuel conflicts, leading to mass displacements, strained resources, and dire humanitarian needs. In OPT, the continued siege and bombardment of Gaza and the escalating situation in the West Bank pose immense difficulties for humanitarian response. OPT continues to face unprecedented challenges, including massive displacement, the destruction of basic infrastructure, lack of safe drinking water, acute food insecurity and attacks on health and humanitarian workers. Across MENA, 50 million people find themselves displaced within their own countries or as refugees across borders, leading to overcrowded camps and strained host communities. Adequate shelter, healthcare, and education for displaced populations remain critical humanitarian needs, with the ongoing conflicts perpetuating. More than 40 million people need urgent support according to humanitarian partners working in MENA.

The repercussions of climate emergencies loom large, with extreme weather events becoming more frequent and severe in MENA. This is particularly evident in vulnerable regions, where communities grapple with the devastating impacts of droughts, floods, and storms, disrupting livelihoods and triggering food insecurity. The number of food-insecure people has increased by 20 per cent across the region over the past three years – reaching more than 41 million people, compared to 2019. Across North Africa, including the countries of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt, climate change-induced warming is already more pronounced in the summer, and wet seasons are becoming progressively dryer. Recent multi-year droughts have been unprecedented in the past 500–900 years. Despite the naturally higher temperatures and lower rainfall across the Arabian Peninsula, trends of further warming and drying are also evident and are expected to worsen over the coming decades.

Yemen

Al-B'arara, Al-Muzaffar district, Taiz, Yemen

Ghania and her family were displaced following conflict in their neighborhood. Their house was destroyed during their absence. The family lived in a rented apartment for four years and had lost all hope of going back to their home. Now, their house has been repaired by UNHCR and they can return.

UNHCR/Ahmed Basha

Economic factors further compound the humanitarian challenges, as many regions face the repercussions of economic downturns, exacerbated by the lingering effects of the global pandemic. Widespread unemployment, inflation and economic instability have left vulnerable populations on the brink, struggling to meet basic needs such as food, shelter, and healthcare. The unemployment rate is around 10,67 per cent with OPT, Libya and Jordan having the highest rates in the region. And more than 31 per cent of the population of MENA are living under the poverty line with Yemen, Syria, and Egypt having the highest rates.

In 2024, the demand for humanitarian assistance is expected to persist due to the protracted nature of conflicts, necessitating sustained efforts. It is imperative to shift the focus beyond immediate relief to encompass long-term strategies for sustainable development and conflict resolution. The anticipated escalation of climate-related challenges calls for adaptive measures and innovative solutions to mitigate the impact on vulnerable communities. Additionally, the lingering economic fallout from the pandemic demands targeted interventions aimed at rebuilding livelihoods and promoting economic resilience. A holistic and adaptive approach is imperative to address the evolving needs of the affected population comprehensively.

Sa’dah, Yemen, A displaced man carries a Rapid Response Mechanism kit after heavy flooding destroyed his home.

Yemen

HRP,
Yemen
8 December 2023

Occupied Palestinian Territory

  • Current People in Need
    3.1 million
  • Current People Targeted
    2.9 million
  • Current Requirements (US$)
    $3.42 billion
People in Need at launch (Dec. 2023)
3.1 million
People Targeted at launch (Dec. 2023)
2.7 million
Requirements (US$) at launch (Dec. 2023)
$1.2 billion
Total population
5.4 million
Income level
Upper middle income
INFORM Severity Index
4 / High
Consecutive appeals
2003 - 2024

Crisis overview and projections

On 7 October 2023, Palestinian armed groups in Gaza launched more than 3,500 missiles and rockets towards Israel and breached the perimeter fence of Gaza in multiple locations. They then entered Israeli towns, communities, and military facilities near the Gaza Strip, killing over 1,200 people, wounding thousands of others and capturing over 200 Israelis and foreign nationals, with reports of rape and other sexual violence.

The Israeli military declared a “state of war alert” and began striking targets in the Gaza Strip. On 9 October, the Government of Israel ordered a “total siege” on Gaza, cutting off water and electricity connections, and closing off all border crossings preventing movement into and out of Gaza. Between 8 October and 10 November, over 10,000 Palestinians were killed, of whom 68 per cent are reported to be women and children, and over 26,000 injured, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.

Occupied Palestinian Territory

Gaza, Occupied Palestinian Territory

Damage following an Israeli airstrike.

UNRWA/Ashraf Amra

The aerial bombardment and ground incursions into Gaza continue as have rockets from Gaza into Israel. Israeli military orders to evacuate north and central Gaza to areas in south Gaza amid the ongoing hostilities, together with 35,000 destroyed and damaged homes have resulted in the displacement of 1.7 million people, 8 out of every 10 people being displaced. Half of those displaced are sheltering in 156 UNRWA facilities, which are operating well beyond capacity. Even with civilians moving away from the north, nowhere is safe as hostilities continue in the south as well.

The Gaza power plant ceased operations on 11 October due to fuel shortages, resulting in near-total electricity shutdown, forcing essential service infrastructure to rely on backup generators, also constrained by fuel scarcity. Limited fuel supplies, and only for basic humanitarian operations, were allowed into Gaza for the first time on 15 November.

The functioning of critical services is further compounded by the destruction of water and sanitation, hospitals, electricity lines and cell towers, many of these sites treated as military target. Complete disruptions of communications and internet services, including satellite connections, have been imposed by Israel three times, creating panic and severely disrupting access to essential services and humanitarian efforts. Food systems have also been breaking down with mills out of operation, bakeries shutting down and shops unable to re-stock.

The health system has been overwhelmed with overflowing patients and dwindling medical supplies, and many facilities have been withstanding several attacks, including Al-Shifa and Al Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza city, and the Indonesian Hospital in North Gaza. As many as 25 hospitals out of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are out of service or unable to admit new patients. Health conditions are exacerbated by inability of people to access potable water. People rely on unhealthy water sources which is increasing water borne diseases, in particular among children. The unsanitary conditions across Gaza, especially in heavily overcrowded IDP locations and the lack of availability of basic personal and domestic hygiene items, create a high-risk environment for public health. Reported cases of diarrhea are on the increase. Additionally, as Gaza’s food system has been stretched to breaking point and food production has virtually halted, people are likely to have inadequate nutrition, further weakening their immune systems and exposing them to various diseases. Prior to this crisis, more than half of the population of Gaza had experienced acute food insecurity since 2022, according to FAO. Currently there is scarcity of essential food commodities due to security constraints that often prevent resupplying. Additionally, prices have surged, with vegetables seeing a 32 per cent increase and wheat experiencing a 65 per cent rise. Hours-long queues are reported in front of the limited bakeries that remain operational, where people are exposed to airstrikes.

Occupied Palestinian Territory

OPT

UNRWA shelters are at four times their maximum capacity.

UNRWA

While attention since 7 October has primarily been focused on Gaza, the situation in the West Bank has been increasingly volatile. The number and severity of “settler-related” incidents of violence have increased, as have military operations in the West Bank. As many as 219 Palestinians, including 55 children and 4 Israelis have been killed between 7 October and 24 November. The Palestinian casualties in these seven weeks account for 48 per cent of all Palestinian fatalities in the West Bank in 2023. Another 2,944 Palestinians have been injured and 1,176 displaced.

Occupied Palestinian Territory

OPT

Across the Gaza Strip it is a daily struggle to find bread and water. UNRWA is providing essential wheat flour to bakeries, but people must queue 4 to 6 hours for bread. They are terrified that they will be hit by a strike, around 10 bakeries have already been hit.

UNRWA/Ashraf Amra

Response priorities in 2024

The immediate priority until the end of 2023 is to scale up the humanitarian response to address the current level of needs across OPT, while accounting for the fact that the magnitude of needs and levels of operational constraints are beyond what has been seen before in the OPT. The response to date has been limited due to high levels of insecurity, extremely limited goods coming into Gaza including fuel, insufficient funding and reduced operational capacity. Ensuring operational capacity is a priority but it depends on complex negotiations for allowing staff to rotate in and out, and must account for the fact that many of the staff of humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza are they themselves directly affected, with many displaced.

The humanitarian community has not been able to keep pace with the scale and depth of need. Impediments imposed by the parties have prevented humanitarians from reaching a large portion of the population of Gaza, particularly in areas in the north, and from securing entry of sufficient humanitarian aid into Gaza. The pause that started on 24 November is expected to provide windows of opportunity for deliveries in the north.

Implementation of the response assumes an increase in humanitarian assistance into Gaza, sufficient fuel for humanitarian operations and that humanitarian actors have safe and sustained access to all people in need, across the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Syrian Arab Republic

  • Current People in Need
    16.7 million
  • Current People Targeted
    10.8 million
  • Current Requirements (US$)
    $4.07 billion
Go to HRP page to see current planning figures
People in Need at launch (Dec. 2023)
15.3 million
People Targeted at launch (Dec. 2023)
13.0 million
Requirements (US$) at launch (Dec. 2023)
$4.4 billion
Total population
23.2 million
Income level
Low income
INFORM Severity Index
5 / Very high
Consecutive appeals
2012 - 2024

Crisis overview and projections

After 12 years of hostilities and persistent economic crisis, people in Syria saw their situation worsen when a series of earthquakes hit northern Syria and Türkiye as of 6 February 2023. The earthquakes resulted in almost 5,900 deaths and more than 12,800 people injured. Many families lost their main breadwinner due to death or injury, at a time when the economic situation was already dire, resulting in millions of people unable to meet their basic needs. The earthquakes have uprooted hundreds of thousands of families. Already prior to the earthquakes, 15.3 million people (7.7 million women, 7.6 million men) were assessed to need humanitarian assistance across the country. Of the 15.3 million people in need, some 4.1 million were living under extreme or catastrophic conditions.

As Syria grappled with the aftermath of earthquakes, economic indicators took a further downturn. High inflation, currency depreciation, and increases in commodity prices continued to drive humanitarian needs in Syria. This resulted in an increase in poverty and reliance on humanitarian assistance. The situation also drove some population movement in Syria, as families moved in search of livelihood opportunities and better access to basic services. The economic decline created a compounding impact on access to services already affected by the earthquake. The economic crisis also increased the cost of the humanitarian response.

Syrian Arab Republic

Aleppo City, Aleppo, Syria

Search and rescue teams in action following an earthquake.

OCHA/ Sevim Turkmani

In October 2023, northern Syria and Deir-ez-Zor Governorate witnessed the most significant escalation of hostilities since 2019, resulting in the displacement of over 120,000 people in north-west Syria. More than 40 health facilities, 27 schools and 20 water systems were impacted by shelling. Regular attacks on critical civilian infrastructure, including water and electricity, left people without access to basic services in north-east Syria, while humanitarian access was negatively impacted by ongoing hostilities. As of mid-year 2023, the severity of access was found to be very high in nine sub-districts, moderate in 50 sub-districts and, low in 99 sub-districts. Deir-ez-Zor Governorate was identified as having the highest number of hard-to-reach sub-districts.

A rift between armed actors coupled with community tensions in the Governorate led to displacement of thousands of civilians. With the regional military dynamics at play, it is expected that the conflict in northern Syria and Deir-ez-Zor Governorate will further intensify, leading to significant increase in humanitarian needs.

While the full overview of needs will be published in January 2024, humanitarian partners estimate that at least 15.3 million people may be in need of humanitarian assistance in 2024.

Syrian Arab Republic

Syria

Two girls look through the window of a house, they have been displaced with their families due to hostilities.

OCHA/Bilal Al-Hammoud

Response priorities in 2024

The humanitarian community will introduce a new two-year HRP covering 2024 and 2025. The response will continue to focus on the key drivers of needs, which are protection threats, rights violations, economic deterioration, unavailability of basic services as well as environmental shocks. In a context of rising needs, humanitarian partners will address people’s most urgent needs, including by expanding critically required early recovery and livelihood support programming as well as access to basic services through investments in critical civilian infrastructure required for service delivery, among other approaches. While increased efforts are made to target only those most in need and prioritize interventions, the funding forecast for 2024 is bleak. Without sustained assistance, vulnerable households are likely to continue slipping deeper into poverty. A potential continuation of hostilities that escalated in September 2023 will have devastating impact on civilians and on the already damaged infrastructure.

Syrian Arab Republic

Idleb, Syrian Arab Republic

The Al-Mahata Camp is part of the Armanaz cluster camps near Al-Baali’ah village, Idleb. This camp is home to 238 displaced families.

OCHA/Ali Haj Suleiman
Aid in Action

Emergency Cash and Voucher Assistance in crisis: Coordination and lessons learnt

Syrian Arab Republic
Jandairis, Syria
Markets across north-west Syria were found to be largely resilient following the earthquakes. A cash-for-food project was implemented as a priority in humanitarian response. Community members used the local markets to buy food items of their choice such as eggs, oil and lentils using vouchers.
OCHA/Madevi Sun-Suon

Following the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck southern Türkiye and north-west Syria on 6 February 2023, Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) was selected as the most appropriate response modality. Within a week, US$1.8 million of multi-purpose cash (MPC) was distributed to 13,000 affected families, who were either homeless, displaced, or in need of medical care. MPC's unique capability is its ability to meet diverse needs through a single distribution. This approach not only provides immediate relief but also aids local economic recovery. The rapid fund distribution was possible thanks to experienced partners and established rapid-response frameworks. Furthermore, MPC is aligned with the principles of Accountability to Affected People (AAP) as it gives affected families the freedom and dignity to be the decision-makers to buy what they need most. In GoS controlled areas, almost 133,400 individuals benefitted from MPC amounting to US$5 million and distributed between February and August 2023. CVA will continue to be encouraged in 2024.

Yemen

  • Current People in Need
    18.2 million
  • Current People Targeted
    11.2 million
  • Current Requirements (US$)
    $2.71 billion
People in Need at launch (Dec. 2023)
18.2 million
People Targeted at launch (Dec. 2023)
11.2 million
Requirements (US$) at launch (Dec. 2023)
$2.8 billion
Total population
33.4 million
Income level
Low income
INFORM Severity Index
5 / Very high
Consecutive appeals
2008 - 2024

Crisis overview and projections

In the context of nine years of conflict, sustained economic deterioration and diminished public services, dire levels of humanitarian needs continue across Yemen. While consultations with concerned authorities continue, an estimated 18.2 million people, or around 53 per cent of the population, need humanitarian assistance. Following the expiry of a truce in October 2022, truce conditions have largely continued to hold over the course of 2023. The relative respite from hostilities has supported improved humanitarian access in some areas, as well as an overall drop in new internal displacement resulting from conflict and lower numbers of civilian casualties. Sporadic clashes continue in border and frontline areas, and landmines and explosive remnants of war pose a deadly threat to civilians and impact prospects for sustainable recovery.

Yemen has one of the largest populations of internally displaced people globally, with 4.56 million people displaced. Migrants, asylum seekers and refugees face harsh conditions and heightened vulnerabilities, with an estimated 380,000 requiring humanitarian assistance.

Yemen

Lahj, Yemen

Al Husseini IDP site.

DRC/Abdullah AL Keldi

Communities across Yemen are ill-equipped to face the climate crisis, as natural hazards such as droughts and flooding increase in number and severity. By the end of November, climate events had caused more than 229,000 new or secondary displacements, nearing the highest point in the four years since climate displacement tracking begun.

In 2024, overall needs severity is anticipated to be equivalent to that in 2023. While hopes remain that a negotiated end to the conflict is on the horizon, any re-escalation of hostilities would result in skyrocketing needs and displacement figures. Of significant concern is the likelihood of a deterioration in malnutrition, in the context of limited investments aimed at addressing the root causes of poverty, continued impediments to comprehensive vaccination campaigns in some areas, low humanitarian funding, inconsistent food assistance and ongoing economic and public service decline. Climate-induced events will continue to exacerbate existing vulnerabilities, damage shelters and other infrastructure, and disrupt service supply and livelihoods.

Yemen

Amran Governorate, Yemen

A displaced mother lives with her seven children in Alqaflah camp. “My children started to work on the streets collecting empty bottles and using them to gain money to buy some flour. I noticed that the milk I provide for my baby gets less because the price of the milk increases gradually, and it is hard to find money.”

CARE Yemen/Abdulrahman Alhobishi

Response priorities in 2024

Despite substantial funding and access challenges, 211 humanitarian organizations delivered aid and protection services to an average of 8.9 million people every month in 2023, including internally displaced persons, returnees, marginalized communities and vulnerable host communities.

For 2024, humanitarian partners have undertaken extensive efforts to prioritize humanitarian response programming. This is based on a need to improve and adjust targeting and interventions in light of the evolution of needs, the operational environment and existing capacities, and the recommendations of the inter-agency humanitarian evaluation of the Yemen crisis, while also retaining flexibilities for contingencies. Humanitarian actors will focus on better integration of the response in areas where needs are the most severe, while strengthening synergies with development actors in order to shift to more sustainable solutions.

Aid in Action

Consultations to support strategic response planning

Yemen
Taiz, Yemen
An IOM water point provides clean and safe potable water to communities displaced in an overcrowded urban settlement located a few kilometers from an active frontline. Many residents of the neighborhood have been displaced. They have arrived with little belongings and require support for essential relief items and rehabilitation of their shelters.
IOM/Angela Wells

For the first time in Yemen, the Humanitarian Country Team has rolled out an area-based approach, based on 11 local consultations, to support strategic response planning for 2024. Participation includes local humanitarian agencies, cluster coordinators, local authorities—including line ministries—and development actors. Through these consultations, strategic humanitarian priorities for the 2024 response are being set from the ground up. Assessment of the most relevant response modalities, accountability to affected populations and local ownership are at the heart of this work. In line with the protracted nature of the crisis and current de facto truce conditions, the consultations also focus on enhancing linkages between development and humanitarian interventions at local level, and priorities that can be taken forward by development partners.

Source:

  • An IOM water point provides clean and safe potable water to communities displaced in an overcrowded urban settlement in Taiz city located a few kilometers from an active frontline.