The United Nations has launched its 2026 humanitarian appeal by requesting just $23 billion, barely half of what it said was needed, after a sharp decline in donor funding forced it to scale back support despite global needs reaching record levels.

The UN had originally sought $47 billion for 2025 but received only $12 billion, the lowest in a decade, prompting aid agencies to prioritise only the most desperate cases. UN aid chief Tom Fletcher warned that humanitarian responders were "overstretched, underfunded, and under attack", facing growing insecurity in conflict zones alongside shrinking resources.

For 2026, the UN identified 87 million people whose lives are at immediate risk, although about 240 million globally need urgent assistance. Its largest single appeal is $4bn for the occupied Palestinian territory, followed by major appeals for Sudan and Syria. Fletcher said the appeal focuses on crises driven by war, climate disasters, epidemics, and food failures, and cautioned that if funding falls short again, the UN may need to seek wider public and private support.