The global humanitarian community faces its most challenging year yet in 2026, with organizations aiming to assist 135 million people out of 239 million in need while grappling with severe funding shortfalls that decimated operations in 2025 [Humanitarian Action].
According to the 2026 Global Humanitarian Overview, humanitarian partners plan to assist nearly 20 percent more people than were reached in 2025, despite widespread staff layoffs and office closures that occurred following funding cuts. The overview encompasses 29 plans and appeals covering 50 countries, including 20 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plans and multiple flash appeals [Humanitarian Action].
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warns of four converging trends pushing the world toward deeper instability, highlighting that "war without limits equals suffering without end." The organization notes that neutral humanitarian action is increasingly being politicized or obstructed, with access to people in critical need remaining severely restricted in areas such as Gaza and Al-Fashir [ICRC].
Critical Hotspots
The Democratic Republic of Congo enters 2026 with 5.7 million internally displaced people, representing one of the world's largest yet most overlooked humanitarian crises. Despite the scale and duration of the crisis, international attention and funding remain "alarmingly low," according to the Norwegian Refugee Council [NRC].
In Myanmar, nearly 90,000 people have been killed since conflict began in 2021, with civilians facing increasing threats from displacement and violence, including a sharp rise in fatalities from airstrikes and explosive weapons [IRC].
Syria and Afghanistan continue to feature prominently among the world's most severe humanitarian emergencies, with both countries experiencing ongoing conflict-related displacement and severe restrictions on aid delivery.
Funding Crisis Impact
The International Rescue Committee's 2026 Emergency Watchlist identifies 20 countries at risk of worsening humanitarian crises, with the top 10 nations representing just 12 percent of global population yet accounting for 89 percent of global humanitarian need [IRC].
Global aid cuts in 2025 have left millions without humanitarian assistance, with women and girls in overcrowded shelters facing particular threats as violence, trafficking, and early marriage increase while funding to meet their needs falls [IRC].
Call for Action
Humanitarian organizations emphasize that 2026 must be "a year of renewed global solidarity" following the damage caused by funding cuts. The Global Humanitarian Overview 2026 represents the most tightly defined global appeal, focused specifically on saving as many lives as possible [Humanitarian Action].
Experts stress that humanitarian action remains the most effective lifeline for millions of people in crisis and costs only a fraction of global expenditure. Organizations are calling for donors to streamline processes and create conditions that advance localization while reducing bureaucratic burden on humanitarian partners [Humanitarian Action].
The ICRC warns that respect for international humanitarian law is weakening across conflicts, with military objectives increasingly taking precedence over obligations to protect civilian lives [ICRC].