Global Humanitarian Overview 2023 [EN/AR/ES/FR] – World

Attachments

At a Glance

PEOPLE IN NEED: 339 M

PEOPLE TARGETED: 230 M

REQUIREMENTS (US$): 51.5 B

APPEALS: 38

Section 1:

Global trends

After 20 years, forced displacement shows no sign of slowing. More than 1 per cent of the world’s population — or 103 million people — are displaced. About two thirds of refugees and asylum-seekers originate from countries with food crises, and nearly a quarter of all refugees are hosted in Least Developed Countries. Disasters and extreme weather events, such as flooding and drought, are responsible for the majority of forced displacements worldwide.

Violent conflict continues to take a heavy toll on civilians, especially when explosives are used in populated areas. Children remain especially vulnerable, and the number of attacks on schools and hospitals has increased. Violence against aid workers is increasing, and 98 per cent of those killed were working in their own country.

The largest global food crisis in modern history is unfolding, driven by conflict, climate shocks and the looming threat of global recession. Hundreds of millions of people are at risk of worsening hunger. Acute food insecurity is escalating, and by the end of 2022, at least 222 million people across 53 countries are expected to face acute food insecurity and need urgent assistance. Starvation is a very real risk for 45 million people in 37 countries.

Climate change is contributing to humanitarian crises worldwide, with climate-related disasters driving increased levels of risks and vulnerability. The past eight years are on track to be the eight warmest on record and 2022 is estimated to be among the hottest. Of the 15 countries most vulnerable to the climate crisis, 12 had an internationally led humanitarian response. By the end of the century, deaths from extreme heat are projected to be comparable in magnitude to all cancers or all infectious diseases.

The global goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030 is no longer achievable, with 90 million more people experiencing this challenging reality than previously projected. Available jobs remain at below pre-pandemic levels, and rising inflation is expected to reach 10 per cent in emerging markets and developing economies. Global fuel and food price hikes are hitting low-income countries the hardest, and most countries with an HRP face lower projected growth in 2023, compounded by challenges of climate change, conflict, rising food and fuel prices, and food insecurity.

Global public health is not improving, as seen in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, monkeypox outbreaks, the rapid spread of vector-borne diseases, rising cases of Ebola, and cholera outbreaks. Only 2.3 per cent of the 13 billion COVID-19 vaccines administered worldwide took place in the 29 countries with an HRP. Infant vaccine coverage has seen the largest recorded reduction in 30 years, and critical testing, treatment and prevention activities for infectious diseases and HIV have declined.

It will now take four generations – or 132 years – to achieve global gender parity. Globally, 388 million women and girls live in extreme poverty, more than men and boys, with the vast majority in sub-Saharan Africa and Central and Southern Asia. The pandemic has increased the risks of gender-based violence (GBV) worldwide, and 13 million more girls are assessed to be at risk of becoming child brides in addition to the 100 million already at risk.

Global education is in crisis due to the pandemic’s ongoing impacts. Schoolchildren in middle-income countries endured significantly longer school closures than those in high-income countries. The digital divide persists: of the 1.6 billion students out of school, 1.3 billion had no Internet connection at home or a device to learn on — a situation that is even more acute for those students living in humanitarian crises.

Section 2:

Response plans

Overview for 2023

One in every 23 people now needs humanitarian assistance. In 2023, a record 339 million people will need humanitarian assistance and protection – a significant increase from 274 million people at the beginning of 2022. The UN and partner organizations aim to assist 230 million people most in need across 68 countries, which will require $51.5 billion.

Expanding global humanitarian needs, rising operational costs and commodity prices and high inflation in 2023 are contributing to a significant rise in requirements. For example, the World Food Programme’s monthly food procurement costs are now 44 per cent higher than before the pandemic.

East and Southern Africa have the largest number of people in need (76.8 million). This year there are ten countries and four regional plans with requirements of more than $1 billion each. Improved stability in Libya is leading to a phased-out exit by humanitarians, resulting in the country not requiring a fully fledged HRP in 2023. In Iraq, diminishing humanitarian response and increased efforts to achieve durable solutions with and through development partners have lifted the country out of the list of the most severe humanitarian situations.

In Ukraine, the largest humanitarian cash assistance programme in history is expected to transfer $1.7 billion in 2022 to 6.3 million people — a huge increase from 11,000 people the year before, which amounts to nearly 600 times more people. In addition, the Ukraine regional response in 2023 will combine both a humanitarian and refugee response plan, aiming to support 13.6 million people with a total requirement of $5.7 billion.

In Ethiopia, the worsening drought and impact of conflict and violence in parts of the country and resulting waves of displacement mean that 28.6 million people will need humanitarian assistance in 2023. While the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement in November 2022 is a promising step to scale up humanitarian assistance, the humanitarian situation is not expected to stabilize in 2023 due to yet more forecasts of poor rainfall and the ongoing effects of conflict and violence.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has its largest request to date, with a total of $2.3 billion in 2023 — a 20 per cent rise compared to 2022. Net increases in prices are a challenging reality across the country — the high price of fuel has made it more expensive to reach vulnerable people in remote areas, and food and commodity prices at local markets have rocketed, especially for imported products. By the end of 2022, 6.2 million people received assistance in the country.

Haiti has seen an increased requirement up to $715 million for 2023 — due to growing humanitarian needs, the cholera response (for which a $146 million Cholera+ Flash Appeal was launched on 15 November 2022), and inflation – which stands at a staggering 30 per cent and is boosting the cost of humanitarian operations. In the gang-controlled commune of Cité Soleil, around 65,000 people were assisted with food and 2,000 with water between 22 July and 28 October 2022.

Lebanon has seen a 59 per cent increase in financial requirements to $600 million, caused by the unprecedented economic and financial crisis and the resulting increase in humanitarian needs. The country is experiencing major increases in the prices of basic commodities, with the price of wheat flour increasing by nearly 330 per cent since 2019.

In Mozambique, the number of people in need has increased by a third. Conflict in Cabo Delgado is driving forced displacement and placing enormous levels of strain on the country’s host communities. Humanitarian partners have provided life-sustaining assistance to 1.4 million people in 2022, including malnutrition treatment, food assistance, protection services and access to safe drinking water.

Afghanistan has seen an overall increase of people in need, now at 28.3 million people. Continuing droughts have caused a dramatic increase in WASH needs, and the policies of the de facto authorities, particularly on women’s participation in society, have driven a 25 per cent increase in protection needs. In 2022, humanitarians helped 27.2 million people in Afghanistan with some form of assistance, and they are reaching communities in all of the country’s 401 districts.

Every month in Yemen, an average of 10.6 million people were reached with humanitarian assistance. This includes food assistance for 15 million people who were classified as being the most vulnerable to food insecurity in 2022.

In Central America, while El Salvador and Guatemala’s humanitarian caseloads are decreasing, the situation in Honduras has worsened, with 31 per cent of the population needing humanitarian assistance. The surge in irregular migrants transiting through South and Central America, triggered by political, social and economic upheaval in several countries in the region, is overwhelming the reception capacity of many countries and fuelling an unprecedented rise in humanitarian and protection needs.

In Myanmar, the response for 2023 will focus on life-saving activities in conflict- affected areas, with 4.5 million people targeted. This follows an exceptional expansion of the HRP scope in 2022 to prevent backsliding from the combined impacts of the military takeover and COVID-19. In 2023, resilience will be mostly addressed via nexus and development activities. The end of 2022 has seen most development partners restarting paused programmes, allowing humanitarian partners to return to core life-saving responses, especially in rural areas.

Section 3:

Delivering better

The Central Emergency Response Fund and the Country-Based Pooled Funds continue to demonstrate their unique ability to expand and contract, anticipating a crisis and adapting as it evolves to ensure that life-saving assistance reaches people in need. As of November 2022, the funds have allocated $1.7 billion to assist people most in need.

Humanitarian negotiations are the backbone of access, and they help reach populations in need, despite increasingly difficult operating environments. The 2022 Black Sea Grain Initiative, signed between Russia and Ukraine, represents a landmark negotiation made possible thanks to the UN and the Government of Türkiye. The agreement opened up the passage of grain through the Black Sea, ultimately helping millions of people and easing the pressure on food prices. More than 10 million tonnes of grain had shipped by November 2022.

Early action is helping to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA). For example, during the first days of the response in Ukraine, a protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) Coordinator was deployed to help prevent, detect and respond to SEA, recognizing that the risks were high and abuse was likely, even prior to any specific reports or complaints.

The critical role played by local and national actors is reflected in increasing levels of leadership and participation in humanitarian response. Local and national actors are included in at least 80 per cent of all Humanitarian Country Teams, and they help with programming and funding decisions. Local women-led organizations are increasingly engaged in the design of humanitarian programme cycles and planning, particularly in Ethiopia, Iraq, Myanmar, Palestine, Syria and Yemen.

Efforts for greater accountability to the people affected by crises have gained momentum, ensuring community engagement and accessible systems for feedback into operations. For example, in the Central African Republic (CAR), community consultations are helping humanitarian responders to understand how affected people experience the crisis as well as the response. The CAR Humanitarian Fund is also prioritizing funding for projects that focus on collective accountability to affected people and perception assessments.

Explore the full report and interactive content through humanitarianaction.info

Disclaimer

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

To learn more about OCHA’s activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.