7 December 2015: The UN and partners called for US$20.1 billion to deliver aid to over 87.6 million people in 37 countries, most of which are in conflict. UN Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Stephen O’Brien launched the 2016 Global Humanitarian Overview (GHO) and the largest-ever annual appeal in Geneva, Switzerland, calling for the international community to “respond generously again to our call for funding to allow us to do the job.”

The appeal represents the culmination of a global process in which humanitarian assistance organizations assess needs, agree on response strategies and present their plans to donors. The resulting GHO estimates the amount needed for hundreds of organizations to deliver food, shelter, medicine, emergency education, protection, and other basic assistance to people in disaster-affected and conflict zones.

The 2016 appeal is five times higher than similar appeals from ten years ago, and higher than the revised total appeal for 2015 of US$19.9 billion. The UN also drew attention to a funding gap of US$10.2 billion for the 2015 appeal, since only 49% of it has been provided.

“Conflicts and disasters have driven millions of children, women and men to the edge of survival. They desperately need our help,” O’Brien explained. According to the report, over 60 million people, half of them children, have fled their homes, the highest level since the post-World War II era.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres said humanitarian assistance is “all too often the only safety net” for people fleeing wars, and called for funding it “on a scale that’s realistic and commensurate” with current challenges. He reflected that the present level of resources is not sufficient for “even the very minimum” in core protection and life-saving assistance. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Margaret Chan described the number of people affected by conflict and natural disasters as “unprecedented, with an unprecedented impact on their health.”

The GHO 2016 identifies extended conflicts in Syria, Iraq, South Sudan and Yemen as among the greatest drivers of humanitarian needs in 2016. Infographics display required and funded humanitarian appeals for each region; Africa requires US$2.3 billion and has received US$1.6 billion in commitments, resulting in a shortfall of US$746 million. Required funding includes: US$333 million for the Middle East; US$505 million for Asia; US$188 million for the Americas; and US$61 million for Europe. Humanitarian needs are predicted to increase in the future, given the El Niño weather pattern, which is already disrupting agricultural production and causing hardship in East Africa and droughts in Central America, according to the GHO.

The report proposes addressing underfunding by: adjusting approaches to protracted crises and disasters; investing more in preparedness; leveraging diverse funding sources; and using the right mix of financial instruments.

“Humanitarian response must be understood as an investment in people, not as a sunk cost,” stressed Ahmad Faizal Perdaus, Chair, the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA), during the launch. He said investing to help those in need provides returns “in human life and dignity.”

The report urges the international community to “find concrete, sustainable solutions” to the conflicts that drive such high levels of refugees, while also providing critical assistance to those in need. [UN Press Release] [OCHA Press Release] [Launch Webcast] [Publication: Global Humanitarian Overview 2016]