Tag: Famine

Global Humanitarian Assistance 2024 – OCHA

The United Nations Office for Humanitarian Coordination’s (OCHA) annual World Humanitarian Situation Report analyzes humanitarian needs worldwide, providing an overview of trends, challenges and priority needs. By helping decision-makers, humanitarian organizations and donors to understand and respond to the most pressing crises, this report establishes a crucial basis for the formulation of OCHA funding appeals, demonstrating the essential link between a thorough understanding of humanitarian needs and the concrete actions required to meet them. The report also takes stock of the previous year’s achievements.

The final Global Humanitarian Overview, published on December 1, 2023, presents a review of the year 2023, as well as the objectives and outlook for 2024.

I. Appeal 2024 – humanitarian context

Figures and context

This new report is published in a particularly complex global humanitarian context. The figures reveal alarming situations: one child in five lives in a conflict zone or is forced to flee. The number of displaced people is currently at its highest level for a century, with one in 73 forced to leave their homes, mainly as a result of conflicts and climatic disasters. The prevalence of acute food insecurity affects 58 countries worldwide, exposing 258 million people to precarious living conditions. Cholera epidemics remain a major public health challenge, reported in 29 countries, endangering the lives of many vulnerable communities. These figures testify to the scale and gravity of the challenges facing the world’s most vulnerable populations, requiring urgent, coordinated humanitarian action.

The appeal for 2024

This year’s Global Humanitarian Outlook identifies 299.4 million people in need of some form of humanitarian assistance, down from 363.2 million at the end of 2023. The target set is to provide aid to 180.5 million of these people, representing around 60% of the total number in need. The amount of financial aid required to achieve these objectives is 46.4 billion dollars.

Fewer people in need

Despite these worrying figures, a positive trend is emerging: the number of people identified as being in need this year is down on the previous year. This improvement can be attributed to three key factors, detailed in the report. This evolution suggests potential advances in the response to humanitarian needs, but it also underlines the importance of carefully analyzing these factors for a thorough understanding of the context.

  1. Several countries interrupt humanitarian plans/calls for funds. Four countries interrupted their humanitarian plans following improvements for 2024: Burundi, Kenya, Malawi and Pakistan.
  2. Improvements in the humanitarian situation in several countries. Improved crises, considerable humanitarian assistance and reduced damage caused by natural disasters have all contributed to an improved humanitarian situation in several countries. The report cites the situation in Somalia and Yemen as examples.

New methodology for needs analysis. The Joint and Inter-sectoral Analysis Framework (JIAF) 2.0 introduces and establishes new international standards for assessing and analyzing humanitarian needs and protection risks on a global scale.

II. Decline in the percentage of people targeted in 2024

A reduction in needs does not necessarily mean an improvement.

A reduction in needs should not automatically be interpreted as an overall improvement in the situation. The proportion of people targeted among those identified as in need is currently at its lowest level (60%). This drop is explained by the need to prioritize the most urgent humanitarian needs, thus imposing difficult choices in the allocation of resources. This year, the aim is to establish clearly defined and prioritized response plans, with a view to ensuring that they are fully funded. This would maximize the impact of humanitarian actions by responding effectively to the most pressing needs.

Calling on other players

“The situation is also a wake-up call. Humanitarian aid cannot be the only solution; we must share the burden.” – Martin Griffiths

The current year highlights the growing recognition of the need to collaborate with other stakeholders to respond effectively to humanitarian needs. The report repeatedly emphasizes the strategic importance of investing in development to support the positive trajectory of countries previously affected by disasters. This approach emphasizes the need for a long-term vision to build community resilience and prevent future crises. By recognizing the interdependence between development and humanitarian action, it becomes essential to promote sustainable, integrated solutions that foster reconstruction and economic growth, while meeting the immediate needs of vulnerable populations.

III. Main response plans 2024

Humanitarian response plans – 9 main countries :

(Ranked by amount of needs)

 

Regional Response Plans – 5 main countries :

(Ranked by amount of need)

Response plans: Overview for 2024 by region :

To conclude,

The outlook for 2024 highlights the pressing need to prioritize the most urgent situations. The Middle East and North Africa region stands out as the area with the highest needs, amounting to 13.9 billion dollars. This year, the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Coordination (OCHA) is also calling on development players to change their approach and direct their assistance towards those most in need. The central idea is that tackling the underlying causes of current crises, such as global warming and conflict, could make a significant contribution to reducing global humanitarian crises. It’s a call for greater participation and collaboration on the part of all concerned.

It is a call for greater participation and collaboration by all players. The report’s foreword concludes with the inspiring idea that, although the challenges are immense, one conviction persists: “together, we have the power to reverse the trend”. This underlines the importance of collective commitment and collaboration in tackling the complex humanitarian challenges that lie ahead in 2024.

 

A summary written by Betty Bianchini

Global Humanitarian Overview 2023

The United Nations Office for Humanitarian Coordination’s (OCHA) annual World Humanitarian Situation Report analyzes humanitarian needs worldwide, providing an overview of trends, challenges and priority needs. By helping decision-makers, humanitarian organizations and donors to understand and respond to the most pressing crises, this report establishes a crucial basis for the formulation of OCHA funding appeals, demonstrating the essential link between a thorough understanding of humanitarian needs and the concrete actions required to meet them. The report also takes stock of the previous year’s achievements.

The final Global Humanitarian Overview, published on December 1, 2023, presents a review of the year 2023, as well as the objectives and outlook for 2024. This summary is based on the 2023 and 2024 reports.

I. Call for 2023 – Context at the beginning of the year

The call for 2023, the needs

The World Humanitarian Outlook 2023, unveiled in December 2022, identified 339 million people as being in need of humanitarian assistance and protection, an increase of 65 million compared to the start of 2022. The report highlighted funding requirements estimated at $51.5 billion to help 230 million of the 339 million people in need of assistance.

The year 2023 began with major economic challenges, characterized by inflation driving up prices and affecting many people in Haiti, Lebanon and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Overall, the period was marked by increased financial needs due to rising operational costs and commodity prices, as well as high inflation. At the same time, the beginning of 2023 was marked by the continuing war in Ukraine and major conflicts in Mozambique, Ethiopia and Myanmar, among others. Climate-related droughts have also increased the need for assistance in Ethiopia and Afghanistan. In short, violent conflicts affecting civilians, forced displacement, the biggest ongoing food crisis in modern history, natural disasters linked to climate change, public health under threat, gender equality hard to achieve, and access to education complicated by the pandemic.

II. Review 2023 – Year-end context

A succession of crises – a more difficult year than expected

Wasn’t that enough? In addition, the global humanitarian situation deteriorated further during the year, marked by earthquakes in Syria and Turkey, cholera and flooding in Malawi and Mozambique, intensified conflict in Sudan, flooding in Libya and the occupied Palestinian territory.

The series of crises throughout 2023 has made needs increasingly complex to meet, while the number of people affected by these crises has continued to rise (363.2 million). The objective has become to help 245.1 million people, i.e. 7% more than the number of people targeted at the beginning of 2023. During the month of November 2023, the financial requirements were re-evaluated upwards, recording a 10% increase, bringing the needs to 56.7 billion dollars.

Increased needs at the end of 2023 :

III. Gap between needs and financing – A high financing deficit

« This is the worst funding shortfall in years. » – Martin Griffiths

Growing humanitarian needs, declining funding.

Probably the most alarming observation of 2023, in addition to the multiplication and aggravation of crises, lies here.

Humanitarian needs for 2023 are at an all-time high, amounting to $56.7 billion. However, the percentage of funding available is historically low. As of December 4, 2023, $19.9 billion had been registered, representing a gap of $36.8 billion in relation to total needs, i.e. funding reaching only 35% of requirements. A worrying gap, especially in a context where demand is reaching record levels. In 2023, funding will be down on the previous year, marking the first decline since 2010. Indeed, in 2022, assistance of $24 billion was available to meet needs estimated at $51.7 billion at the end of the year, ensuring that requirements were covered at 47%.

Some of the consequences of this deficit are highlighted in the 2024 report:

  • Reduced food aid: more people at risk of starvation (according to the World Food Program’s estimate, a 1% reduction in food aid could push more than 400,000 people to the brink of starvation).
  • Lack of funding for shelters has forced people to live in unworthy and inadequate conditions, as observed in Haiti and Myanmar.
  • Lack of water, sanitation and healthcare resources: puts the most vulnerable populations at risk of disease and death.
  • Lack of investment in protection against gender-based violence: worldwide, 53% of targeted women have been able to access comprehensive gender-based violence services through UN Women.
  • Lack of access to essential support and services: fuels protection risks.

IV. Concrete actions in 2023

Key figures :

  • 128 million people worldwide received aid, i.e. 62% of those targeted.
  • 1/3 of United Nations Office for Humanitarian Coordination (OCHA) pooled fund allocations went to national NGOs.
  • 7.8 million people received humanitarian aid thanks to private partnerships.
  • 119.5 million people received food aid, cash or vouchers.
  • 2.3 billion dollars transferred to 47 million people (cash or vouchers).
  • 46 million people benefited from emergency health aid.
  • 23.2 million people benefited from safe water supplies
  • 13.9 million children had access to education

Achievements

Improvements observed during 2023 include improved food and nutrition security, greater accessibility to inclusive healthcare such as emergency care and sexual and reproductive health, multi-sector humanitarian assistance focused on communities’ priority needs such as access to drinking water and education, and enhanced protection for women and children. In addition, progress has been made in the implementation of regional plans to meet a variety of humanitarian needs.

Results:

 

To conclude,

The year 2023 was marked by a series of humanitarian crises of unprecedented severity, aggravated by their multiplication on a global scale. Despite these challenges, humanitarian partners persevered in their efforts to meet the needs of the most vulnerable populations, reaching nearly 128 million people. However, the responses have often faced considerable constraints and obstacles, highlighting the growing complexity of contemporary humanitarian crises and the need for collective, coordinated action to respond effectively.

A summary written by Betty Bianchini