Despite the collapse of funding to 2016 levels, rising attacks, and access constraints, humanitarians were unrelenting in their efforts and delivered at least one form of life-sustaining or life-saving assistance to nearly 98 million people (or 65 per cent of people targeted) through country-specific plans and appeals in 2025. Of the 86 million people hyper-prioritized for assistance in mid-2025, humanitarian partners were able to reach nearly 68 million people, or 74 per cent of the hyper-prioritized target.
Local and national actors at the forefront of crisis response
Around the world, communities provided the first line of support for one another in times of crisis in 2025, despite the immense strain of funding cuts and despite being more likely to be attacked. This role was acknowledged and supported through the Humanitarian Reset and was evident in each humanitarian response. In Mozambique and Venezuela, around half of the humanitarian response was delivered by local and national actors. In Syria, over half (180 out of 330) of the active humanitarian organizations were national non-Governmental organizations (NGOs), while in Ukraine, 73 per cent of humanitarian partners were local or national NGOs (363 out of 499). In Malawi, community-driven initiatives by refugee women-led organizations in Dzaleka Refugee Camp reached over 49,000 refugees and local residents with efforts to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. In the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), two National Emergency Medical Teams were relaunched, providing a significant contribution to health service delivery across Gaza, strengthening localization of resources and enabling technical skill transfer through structured mentorship programmes.
Some 55 per cent of Country-Based Pooled Funds (CBPF) allocations, the highest proportion ever, was channeled to local and national non-governmental organizations in 2025, including 17 per cent to local women's organizations, and pooled funds adopted innovative practices to get funds into the hands of community-based organizations. The Sudan Humanitarian Fund allocated $25 million to support over 800 mutual aid groups—including Emergency Response Rooms—enabling them to sustain hundreds of community kitchens, facilitate the evacuation of civilians and provide access to essential services in hard-to-reach areas. More than one-third of the mutual aid groups supported were women-led organizations (WLOs). The Myanmar Humanitarian Fund utilized its Flexible Localization Envelope (FLEX) to ensure local partners engaged in the response—including grassroots civil society organizations, with limited experience managing humanitarian grants—could access much-needed resources. More than four years after the military takeover, the MHF has increased its local partner base by more than 120 per cent. In Afghanistan, support to WLOs doubled in 2025, with seven WLOs receiving $4.8 million in funding, up from three WLOs with $2.5 million in 2024 and one WLO with $0.26 million in 2023.
Sucre State, Venezuela
A girl receives as meal as part of the WFP school meals program in Carúpano. In Venezuela, more than 575,000 children, school personnel and family members received school meals.
WFP/Gustavo VeraResponding to the food insecurity and malnutrition crisis, including two simultaneous famines
In a race against time to avert widespread starvation in the areas of highest concern, Food Security Cluster partners reached 62 million people with food security assistance, agriculture and livelihood assistance or both in the first six months of 2025. In Gaza, Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)—where famine was declared on 22 August 2025—food security partners exerted all efforts, and all means, to deliver to families in desperate need. Less than a month after the ceasefire was announced, on 30 October over 1.1 million hot meals were prepared and delivered by 22 partners across 178 kitchens. In Sudan, where famine is now declared in both El Fasher and Kadugli, partners have surged food assistance, with partners now reaching more than 4 million people each month. In Somalia, food security partners delivered lifesaving food and cash assistance to 1.3 million vulnerable people in 2025. In Venezuela, more than 800,000 children, school personnel and family members received food assistance e.g., hot meals and/or food baskets. In Afghanistan, food security partners have combined food assistance with livestock protection, cash assistance, access to seeds and land rehabilitation, based on communities’ priorities. In Colombia, by October 2025, more than 330,000 people were reached through food security and nutrition interventions targeting displaced people and host communities affected by conflict and climate shocks. Food security partners have utilized innovation and technology to enhance their effectiveness around the globe and 33 per cent of people receiving food security assistance through cluster partners did so as cash and vouchers.
Nutrition partners tackled the child survival crisis posed by rising malnutrition. In Yemen—which faces one of the world’s most alarming malnutrition crises—nutrition partners reached 6 million people with treatment and preventive nutrition services. Their efforts helped sustain a fragile lifeline for communities despite critical pipeline breaks and widespread service closures. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), nearly 1.2 million children under five with acute malnutrition will be treated in 2025, helping avert excess mortality in high-severity zones. In Mali, nutrition partners treated over 218,00 children for life-threatening severe acute malnutrition.
West Darfur, Chad
Oumalis, 21, arrived four months ago from Sudan with her six-month-old baby. She receive treatment for malnutrition, including super cereals and fortified corn–soya blend. “Before the war, I was a farmer. I am relieved I can nurture my son with the food I get here.”
WFP/Lena VonzabernImproving access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), including to prevent and contain communicable disease outbreaks
By mid-2025, nearly 23 million people across 29 countries had received WASH services, including access to safe drinking water, improved sanitation and/or hygiene activities. This included 2.2 million people in Myanmar, 1.1 million people in OPT and nearly 6 million in Syria. In Haiti, where violence has caused mass displacement and water is a scarce commodity, close to 200,000 were provided access a sufficient quantity of safe drinking water for survival and dignity. WASH responses were gender-sensitive to reduce protection risks: in Chad, more than half a million people were able to access gender-segregated latrines in high-vulnerability areas while in Nigeria, nearly 900,000 people accessed improved WASH facilities with gender-segregated designs.
WASH services played a critical role in managing communicable disease outbreaks. In Somalia, amidst the Acute Watery Diarrhoea (AWD)/cholera outbreak, approximately 339,000 people were provided access to improved sanitation services through the construction and rehabilitation of emergency and communal latrines, solid waste management campaigns and the distribution of sanitation tools.
Protecting people and communities as threats escalated
In 2025, humanitarian protection services reached at least 22 million people across 32 operations. In Colombia and Somalia, more than 200,000 people (respectively) were supported through protection services, including legal aid, psychosocial support and community-based protection activities. Humanitarian partners reached 122,000 people around the world with Housing, Land and Property assistance. However, this accounted for just 2.6 per cent of people targeted.
In a world failing to protect children from the horrors of war, partners delivered tailored services. Mental health and psychosocial support were provided to children and caregivers, including over 68,000 children (nearly half of them girls) in Mali. Child protection services reached 207,000 children and their caretakers in Cameroon and 45,000 children in Venezuela, while in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, 11,270 children received specialized child protection service through case management.
Global efforts to prevent, address and respond to gender-based violence (GBV) reached hundreds of thousands of women, children, and young people. In the Central African Republic, 43,000 GBV survivors received comprehensive services, while in Lebanon (Syria 3RP), more than 52,000 women and girls accessed similar services. In Ukraine, 400,000 people accessed GBV-services and through the Horn of Africa and Yemen Migrant Response Plan, 1,300 victims of trafficking (52 per cent women and girls) received assistance and specialized protection and GBV services.
Maban, South Sudan
Toma, who fled conflict in Sudan, fills her container at an improved water point in Gendrassa Refugee Camp. This simple act is now transformative: ensuring her family's daily needs are met while freeing up hours in her day. Solar-powered water points provide safe, reliable water for refugees and the host community.
UNHCR/Philip James LukuduDelivering health care amid crises
Humanitarians worked tirelessly to provide critical health care to at least 30 million people in 2025, ensuring access even in hard-to-reach areas. By September 2025, the Health Cluster had:
People reached
Reached 30 million people across 24 operations.
Health ClusterPrimary health care
Provided 47.3 million primary health care consultations
Health ClusterHealth facilities
Supported over 8,100 health facilities and 1,370 mobile clinics
Health ClusterVaccinations
Delivered 5.3 million childhood vaccinations.
Health ClusterDisabiliites
Provided over 650,000 disability-related consultations.
Health ClusterMental health
Provided 3.9 million mental health consultations.
Health ClusterIn Myanmar, 2.1 million people were assisted to access essential health services. In OPT, health partners coordinated the evacuation of 2,955 patients and 5,010 companions, operated 228 service points across Gaza and provided 14.5 million health consultations in Gaza and 107,000 in the West Bank. In Nigeria, 930,000 people received emergency health services, including cholera outbreak response in flood-affected areas. In the DRC, 400,000 people across the country were reached through anticipatory action to mitigate the impact of predicted large-scale cholera outbreaks.
With the risk of maternal mortality rising in multiple crises, partners raced against the clock to deliver sexual and reproductive healthcare. In eastern DRC, 42 health facilities were supported by humanitarian partners, reaching over 200,000 people with sexual and reproductive healthcare in July 2025. In OPT—where maternal and newborn care was in freefall for most of 2025—more than 91,000 people were reached with critical sexual and reproductive health, GBV and youth services in May and June 2025 alone. In Sudan, partners reached more than 667,000 women and girls with life-saving reproductive health and protection services between January and September 2025, including through thirteen mobile health teams that delivered essential care in hard-to-reach areas. In Venezuela, comprehensive obstetric/gynaecological care was delivered to more than 53,000 women, and support was provided for 312 clinical management of sexual violence consultations.
Vaccination campaigns improved health outcomes and helped prevent epidemics, even in some of the world’s most complex crises. In Somalia, to contain the measles outbreak, health partners vaccinated 334,300 children. In Gaza, OPT, nearly 600,000 children were immunized in each of the three rounds of the polio campaign, achieving between 94 and 100 per cent of the target.
Far North Region, Cameroon
In Makary, Ibrahim, 13, received a tricycle wheelchair from Plan International, allowing him to attend school like his peers for the first time. Previously, his inability to walk made this impossible.
Plan International Cameroon/Ayrton SadieuProviding education to support children’s safety and their futures
Globally, education partners ensured that millions of children accessed formal or non-formal education, bridging schooling gaps for children in crisis. In Syria—a country where a generation of children had only known war until recently—nearly a million children received education assistance. In Nigeria, more than 362,600 conflict-affected children received education in safe learning environments, while partners from the Venezuela Regional Refugee and Migrant Response Plan (RMRP) reached 23,600 children and adolescents with education support to improve school access and retention.
Delivering emergency relief and shelter amidst escalating hostilities and extreme weather
Emergency shelter and relief items were provided across multiple crises, particularly during harsh winter months. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRD), nearly 900,000 people received shelter or essential household items; the latter made up the majority of aid delivered, reflecting large-scale displacement and asset loss. In Haiti, where mass displacement continues, 80,0000 people received emergency shelter kits. In Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, nearly 46,000 households received shelter reinforcement assistance while in Uganda, all 68,184 newly arrived refugee households received minimum shelter support and 648 refugees with specific needs were assisted with semi-permanent shelters.
Chocó, Colombia
A humanitarian team arrives by boat in Fujíadó to support Afro-descendant communities affected by displacement and confinement.
OCHA/Jorge PeñaEnabling delivery to hard-to-reach areas and connecting humanitarians and the communities they serve
In 2025, humanitarian air and logistics services carried humanitarian personnel and supplies to some of the hardest-to-reach places on the planet. The UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) kept aid moving in 21 countries where roads were blocked, commercial flights could not operate and insecurity was rampant. By October 2025, UNHAS had moved over 200,000 aid workers and 4,000 metric tonnes of essential cargo to frontline operations. In Haiti, amid rising violence, UNHAS offered passengers twice or more daily helicopter service from the capital, Port-au-Prince, to other Haitian destinations—transporting some 7,000 passengers from different humanitarian organizations in the first four months of 2025. When violence surged in DRC earlier in 2025, UNHAS relocated thousands of aid workers to safety. So too, when the Ebola outbreak was declared in September 2025, UNHAS deployed immediately, moving health workers, vaccines and equipment to the frontline, without which the situation would have been much worse. In Somalia, the Logistics Cluster expanded its operation, accessing 19 hard-to-reach locations—nearly five times more than in 2024—and delivering over 800 metric tons of life-saving cargo. This was achieved through targeted coordination, infrastructure assessments and strategic interventions, including the opening of new corridors and lifting of blockades in some besieged areas in Southwest State. In Ukraine, forty convoys reached 45,000 people in hard-to-reach areas with life-saving assistance. In Burkina Faso, 272 metric tonnes of humanitarian cargo were airlifted through the Airbus Foundation, with priority given to local NGOs (comprising 53 per cent of cargo transported). In Madagascar, unmanned aircraft able to deliver 160 kilos of nutritional supplements per drop were pioneered.
Humanitarian partners were able to connect with communities and one another through emergency telecommunications. One month after Hurricane Melissa struck the Caribbean, the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC) continued to provide critical information and communication technology coordination and connectivity support across affected parishes in Jamaica, powering 64 sites with internet access that reached more than 24,000 users. In Nigeria, ETC supported the Cadre Harmonisé—a regional framework led by national and international partners to assess acute food and nutrition insecurity—by providing tailored digital solutions that gave analysts real-time access to online tools, streamed sessions live, and extracted data seamlessly. In OPT, ETC has remained on the ground, doing all it can to restore and maintain communications for those delivering life-saving aid, including working to secure import approvals for essential equipment—a process that remains slow but critical.
Fighting the Ebola outbreak: the vital role of UNHAS
When the Ebola virus resurfaced in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in September 2025, it quickly became clear that access—not just the disease—was the greatest challenge. The UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) deployed immediately, moving health workers, vaccines and equipment to the frontline.
Delivering cash to empower people, give back to markets and enable people to act ahead of emergencies
Humanitarian partners delivered cash and voucher assistance in highly complex and volatile emergencies in 2025, signifying its adaptability and effectiveness. In Yemen, as the crisis deepened, cash programming expanded: by August 2025, more than 320,000 people had received multi-purpose cash (MPC) assistance. In Gaza, OPT, 305,000 households in Gaza received at least one MPC installment, while in the northern West Bank, 22,000 MPC installments reached 10,200 vulnerable families.
Humanitarian partners engaged in anticipatory action to reduce humanitarian impacts ahead of an emergency. In Nigeria, 400,000 people benefited from anticipatory action, including 140,000 people who received cash and more than 4,000 people who were relocated before the floods. In Haiti, nearly 50,000 people received anticipatory cash transfers ahead of hurricane Melissa making landfall (October 2025): each vulnerable household received $100 enabling them to buy food, medicine and other items to cover their essential needs.
Sana'a, Yemen
Exhausted migrants receiving medical checks and treatment by IOM’s mobile medical team in Sana'a.
IOM / Majed MoahmmedAssisting people on the move, including refugees, migrants and the communities hosting them
Humanitarian partners stepped up to assist large numbers of people who sought safety across borders, with a variety of services from legal counselling and protection, the provision of emergency food, health and sanitation to cash assistance and transportation. In Latin America and the Caribbean, some 36,200 Venezuelan refugees and migrants were reached with shelter and housing support, including temporary and emergency shelter for populations in-transit. Under the Sudan Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRRP), 160,000 people were relocated or supported with a transportation cash allowance. In Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, more than a million refugees received food assistance, while nearly 60,000 households also received crop agricultural support and other resilience-building activities. Some 14,000 migrants travelling through the Horn of Africa and Yemen received mental health and psychosocial support. Meanwhile, under the Syria 3RP, more than 840,000 people in Lebanon received regular MPC assistance while 684,000 people received protection services, including child protection and GBV support. In Uganda, more than 717,000 learners (refugees and host community members) were enrolled across all education levels, including nearly 30,000 learners with disabilities.
Goulmou, Burkina Faso
Joseph, 46, a widower displaced from Yamba and living in Fada for two years, has renewed hope for his daughter’s future. After her mother’s death, his 19-year-old daughter had to take on household responsibilities, but he believes she can return to school and become a teacher or doctor to serve the community.
OCHA/Alassane SarrWorking with—and being accountable to— affected communities
Accountability to affected people (AAP) is a cornerstone of quality, inclusive humanitarian aid: to ensure assistance is aligned with the expressed priorities and priorities of affected communities, and to act on feedback received. In the DRC, an AAP cell was established to centralize community feedback, manage inter-agency complaints, route sensitive cases and ensure people’s stated priorities drove planning. In Sudan, a network of 150 community volunteers strengthened AAP by serving as a direct, face-to-face channel, especially in hard-to-reach areas. In addition, 154,000 feedback cases were received and addressed through the Inter-Agency Community Feedback Mechanism, with 89 per cent of cases closed.
The takeaway: humanitarians found ways to deliver in 2025, despite the seismic contraction of funding and continued attacks
In 2025, thousands of humanitarian staff and volunteers around the world delivered to people in crisis, often in near-impossible circumstances. As global geopolitics shift, it is vital that principled humanitarian action is respected and protected. This is precisely what the Humanitarian Reset aims to accomplish, grounded in the work of local and national partners who know their communities best, and leveraging the tools, systems and capacities of the international humanitarian community in support of their efforts.
Overview of 2025 response plans
References
- Unless otherwise specified, data presented in this article covers the period January – November 2025. Data in this article was provided directly by country operations, humanitarian partners/NGOs, clusters and UN agencies.
- The expected number of people reached may increase until country teams conclude their 2025 response monitoring. Expected reach figures do not include OPT. For the most up-to-date figures see humanitarianaction.info
- Global Food Security Cluster. Data retrieved 20 November 2025.
- Global Protection Cluster dashboard, data as of 31 October 2025.