By 25 November, the financial requirements for 2024 had grown to $49.6 billion—up from $46.4 billion at the beginning of the year—aiming to assist nearly 198 million people in 77 countries. The increase was driven primarily by the intensification of war in both the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and Lebanon, drought in Southern Africa, Hurricane Beryl in the Caribbean, and floods in Bangladesh, Nepal and Viet Nam. During the year, humanitarian requirements also increased in several countries, including Chad, Ethiopia, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen. In Sudan, a Famine Prevention Plan was launched in April 2024, as the humanitarian community called for immediate action and resourcing in an attempt to avert the looming catastrophe.
Yet, despite the enormous efforts made by humanitarians to tightly focus their response plans and appeals, funding did not keep pace with requirements in 2024. Humanitarian organizations prepared by taking difficult decisions about who, and what, to include and exclude from humanitarian appeals around the world. Informed by in-depth needs analyses, targets were narrowed, leading to a $6 billion reduction in the global appeal compared to 2023 and a drop of over 56 million in the number of people targeted for aid. Despite this, just 43 per cent of the amount required—$21 billion—had been received against the GHO requirements by 25 November 2024. These shortages have impacted crises worldwide, especially those that are chronically underfunded.
Appeal funding vs requirements | 2011 - 2024 (as of 25 November 2024)
Appeal funding coverage 2011 - 2024 (as of 25 November 2024)
At the same time, humanitarians and the services they provide have come under unprecedented attack. 2024 has been the most dangerous year for aid workers, with 281 humanitarians killed—around 63 per cent in Gaza, OPT—and 525 subjected to major attacks. Local aid workers—serving their own communities on the frontlines of conflict—are most exposed to violence. Between January and November 2024, 96 per cent of all aid workers killed, injured or kidnapped were national/local staff. Attacks on medical personnel and facilities have also continued, with 2,135 conflict-related assaults on health facilities reported globally between January and October 2024—while attacks on education and military use of schools rose nearly 20 per cent in 2022 and 2023 compared to the previous two years. Arrests and detentions of aid workers, though less well-documented, are a rapidly growing concern. Humanitarians are also encountering increasingly complex challenges from misinformation, disinformation and hate speech, especially within conflict settings.
In several contexts, disregard for international humanitarian law and access impediments have prevented humanitarian partners from reaching people in urgent need. In OPT, movement restrictions left the protection cluster unable to meet half its targets, while the closure of the Rafah Crossing caused a 40 per cent drop in emergency medical team deployments. In Niger, unclear regulations on humanitarian movements and mandatory armed escorts for humanitarian work prevented 1.1 million people from receiving aid in the first half of 2024. In Ukraine, escalating hostilities near the front lines forced the relocation of aid operations, leaving many areas inaccessible and vulnerable populations without support.
Extreme weather events have further strained fragile infrastructure, cutting off access to communities in need. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) rains destroyed roads and bridges preventing aid from reaching 1.9 million people, including 1.72 million internally displaced persons (IDPs). In Mozambique, heavy rainfall damaged roads for four months, delaying aid to 21,000 people.
On the path towards durable solutions for internally displaced persons
Internal displacement has risen dramatically since the UN created a framework for international humanitarian assistance in 1992. At that time, there were 24 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) worldwide. By mid-2024, this number had almost tripled to 72.1 million. Many IDPs endure years without access to basic services, social protection, livelihoods, land or the ability to fully exercise their rights as citizens.
In response to findings from a March 2024 independent review of the humanitarian system’s effectiveness in addressing internal displacement, the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) has identified several response areas to close gaps in providing assistance and protection for IDPs and lay the groundwork for durable solutions. The IASC’s work to respond to IDP crises is complemented by efforts to generate durable solutions under the Secretary General’s Action Agenda on Internal Displacement where countries like Colombia, Iraq, Libya, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Somalia have committed to putting 8.5 million IDPs on pathways to solutions. Governments have developed new plans, strategies and budget allocations to support these efforts.
In Nigeria, significant progress has been made in implementing these ‘pathways to solutions.’ In 2024, assistance for IDPs shifted toward government-led, development-focused approaches. Under the Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator’s leadership, collaboration among humanitarian, development and peace actors reframed the narrative on IDPs, recognizing them not just as aid recipients but as displaced citizens whose needs must be addressed holistically. In May 2024, with support from the UN, the Government, launched action plans in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe to assist IDPs, returnees and host communities by fostering durable solutions.
For development actors like the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), this shift involves partnering with the Government to ensure that early recovery and stabilization initiatives pave the way for sustainable solutions. Efforts include investing in initiatives that provide long-term crisis resolution such as the Lake Chad Basin Regional Stabilization Facility which has helped eight communities impacted by Boko Haram and other extremist groups to improve security, access to justice, infrastructure and local economies through the provision of grants.
Despite overwhelming challenges, humanitarian partners—in support of community-led responses—worked tirelessly to deliver life-sustaining and life-saving assistance in crises around the world. In 2024, the UN and over 2,000 partner organizations—62 per cent of whom were local and national actors—reached nearly 116 million people through country-specific plans. This underscores the monumental efforts of humanitarian organizations, staff, and volunteers—many of whom are displaced or have family members who were killed or injured—to reach and provide life-saving support to people impacted by crises. Despite being under-funded and under attack, humanitarians remained determined and delivered when funded and supported.
What was done
In 2024, 4.7 million people received crop production assistance at an average cost of $150 per household. This support enabled households to produce $468 million worth of food, meeting their own needs and sustaining their communities for months.
FAOWhat could have been done
If the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) had received full funding for crop its interventions under the GHO 2024, an additional 25.9 million people could have produced over $2.58 billion worth of food in 2024—four times the original funding request.
FAOWhat was done
In Egypt, under the Sudan Regional Refugee Response Plan, more than 50,000 recently arrived, vulnerable Sudanese refugees received bi-monthly Multi-Purpose Cash (MPC) assistance.
UNHCR (Sudan Regional Refugee Response Plan)What could have been done
With full funding, an additional 93,800 vulnerable Sudanese refugees on the waiting list could have received this vital support.
UNHCR (Sudan Regional Refugee Response Plan)High-level events in 2024
The High-level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Situation in Ethiopia, held on 16 April in Geneva, raised $610 million for the response. High-level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Situation in Ethiopia | OCHA
OCHA/Nitsebiho Asrat
At the Eighth Brussels Conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region, on 27 May, the international community pledged $5.43 billion in grants and $2.73 billion in loans for 2024 and beyond.
OCHA/Sevim Turkmani
A High-level Ministerial Side Event on Sudan and the Region was held on 25 September during the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, mobilizing support and funding for Sudan and the region. UN General Assembly high-level Ministerial event - "The Cost of Inaction: Urgent and collective support to scale up the humanitarian response in Sudan and the region" | OCHA
OCHA/Yao Chen
The Donor Conference to Support Displaced People and Refugees in the Sahel and Lake Chad Region held on 26 October in Jeddah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, secured $1.12 billion in humanitarian aid for Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Mali, Niger and Nigeria. KSrelief
OCHA/Ramatoulaye Moussa MazouPrivate sector making a difference in disaster recovery and resilience
In February 2024, wildfires raged through Chile, burning over 9,200 hectares across five areas, claiming 133 lives and destroying homes, schools, and businesses. Within 12 hours, Desafío Levantemos Chile, a private company and member of the OCHA-UNDP Connecting Business initiative (CBi) immediately distributed debris removal kits and conducted needs assessments. The organization’s 500 volunteers led response efforts and early recovery projects, including rebuilding schools, providing psycho-emotional support for children, and aiding small businesses. By July, Desafio had raised over $12 million through individual donations and 697 company contributions, reaching more than 150,740 individuals.
Elsewhere, the hurricane season in the Caribbean was forecast to be the worst on record. In June 2024, CBi convened 70 representatives from Caribbean regional and national disaster management authorities and chambers of commerce to strengthen public-private partnerships for disaster resilience. Just 48 hours later, Hurricane Beryl struck, affecting over a million people and putting these newly formed alliances to the immediate test to respond to the disaster.
These are just two of 16 emergencies that businesses responded to in 2024, which included floods, tropical cyclones, droughts, wildfires and political instability. Globally, CBi partners have collectively mobilized $14 million and reached over 2.6 million people through their disaster preparedness, response, and recovery activities.
CBi includes 20 Member Networks—national and regional chambers of commerce or business associations—from some of the most disaster-prone areas. With additional partners in the pipeline, this reflects a growing movement of businesses engaged in fostering disaster resilience.
References
- In some cases, the financial requirements changed because at the time of launch of the GHO 2024, figures from 2023 were used in calculations while the 2024 figures were finalized in-country. The figures were updated directly in HumanitarianAction.info upon the release of the relevant plans. In other cases, the plans were revised through the course of the year to adjust for changes in the context with heightened conflict and/or climate shocks, among others.
- By year-end 2023, the GHO 2023 requested $56.1 billion to assist 245.2 million targeted people. By end of 2024, the GHO 2024 requested $49.6 billion to assist 198 million targeted people.
- African Development Bank, the International Organization for Migration, UNDP, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the World Bank.
- Numbers are self-reported by CBi Member Networks as of 15 November 2024.