In a volatile world, with more children in need than ever and resources increasingly stretched, UNICEF and its partners must have the right support. Global Humanitarian Thematic Funding is a highly flexible form of funding that allows donors to support the UN agency, as it responds rapidly and strategically to immediate needs in humanitarian crises. Thanks to the generous support from partners, Flexible Funding has already saved lives in six countries including Afghanistan, Haiti, Türkiye, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan, and South Sudan.

Decades of armed conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo have forced some 5.5 million people to flee their villages, leaving them in dire need of assistance to survive. Since the humanitarian operations were scaled up in North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri Provinces last June, the distribution of cash assistance has significantly increased. In July 2023, the WFP distributed cash to more than 800,000 vulnerable individuals in these three provinces, an eightfold increase within just one month. Learn about the stories of three beneficiaries of this programme: Yalala, Akela, and Nyangoma, and how they invested the money provided by the UN.

Hunger is on the rise, affecting more people than ever before. WFP data shows that each 1% reduction in WFP's assistance could push an additional 400,000 people closer to famine.

Food-insecurity levels were already alarmingly high, with one third of people in Palestine – 1.8 million – experiencing food insecurity. In the immediate aftermath of the spike in conflict, the UN World Food Programme's emergency operation aims to provide a critical food lifeline to over 800,000 people.

The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), mandated by the General Assembly, leads global emergency responses in coordination with UN entities. It ensures rapid and coherent disaster response and coordinates international responses to health crises, provides aid to those affected by disasters and conflicts, aids refugees, focuses on child welfare, supports women and girls, offers services and funds for large-scale feeding operations, and helps farmers re-establish production after emergencies, among other tasks.

Since the start of the year, extreme weather in Yemen has displaced over 200,000 people, many of whom had already been displaced multiple times. Heavy rain is now affecting nearly 2 million displaced people, threatening lives and livelihoods across multiple communities. The effects of climate crises exacerbate the vulnerability inherent in displacement, especially for women and girls. That was the case for Souad, 45, and her seven children, who had been sheltering in a mud hut they built themselves – before the flash floods demolished it. The UN rapid response mechanism in Yemen, led by UNFPA, ensures life-saving assistance within 72 hours of the onset of an emergency.

On 8 September 2023, a powerful earthquake struck Morocco, claiming more than 2,800 lives and impacting more than 100,000 children according to initial reports. In any emergency, children are always among the most vulnerable. In close coordination with the authorities and UN partners, UNICEF is ready to support the humanitarian response as necessary to reach children and families affected with critical supplies and services. Longer-term, children and families affected will need shelter, safe drinking water, health and medical help, and food and nutrition support. Child protection services including psychosocial support will be critical in helping children and parents process their distressing experiences. Getting children back into school is also critical for their long-term recovery.  

Hello Future - Season 2, Episode 1: Nexus. The overlapping crises we face today signal that our traditional responses are not enough. We must deliver humanitarian assistance with a keen eye towards preventing the next catastrophe. This episode features Achim Steiner, Iryna Haiduchyk, and Abdallah Al Dardari.

Hello Future is a UNDP video series exploring the trends shaping our world. From digitalization to inequality, to the climate emergency, to crisis response, the series examines critical issues facing humans and the place we call home, and what we must do if we’re to get out of this century alive.

Around the world, humanitarians work tirelessly to save lives and bring hope to people in need. As crises multiply, it is unacceptable that humanitarians are being forced to reduce aid to millions of people in need. Humanitarianism itself is now under attack. On this World Humanitarian Day, we salute the courage and dedication of humanitarian aid workers everywhere. 

Nepal, Niger and South Sudan are all vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Nepal’s annual monsoon is becoming more erratic; last year’s floods in South Sudan reached unprecedented levels; and Niger’s worst drought in 30 years is driving humanitarian need. The lack of rain is causing displacement, food insecurity and malnutrition among the poorest and most vulnerable communities. Advancements in technology and analytics make it easier to predict extreme weather events. With support from UN Humanitarian, anticipatory action was triggered to prevent or reduce the impact on people.

At the beginning of 2023, UNOPS helped deliver more than 300 electricity generators to 13 regions in Ukraine as part of an emergency response project to support the needs of Ukrainian communities.

Haiti’s hunger crisis is unseen, unheard, and unaddressed leaving more than 4.9 million Haitians struggling to eat day-to-day. Pervasive insecurity and extreme weather conditions are inhibiting access to the rich food productive areas in the region. WFP is optimistic that despite these challenges, empowering the local community will build long-term capacities in bridging the food crisis. There needs to be a multi-sector response and investments in the local grassroot organizations to stabilize humanitarian assistance in Haiti.

Cameroon is affected by three complex crises: the Lake Chad basin conflict, the North-West and South-West (NWSW) crisis, and the Central African Republic (CAR) refugee crisis. One in six people in Cameroon needs humanitarian assistance. This year, an estimated 4.7 million people need humanitarian assistance and protection. However, in recent years, much-needed funding for the humanitarian response in Cameroon has barely reached half of the required amount. UN Humanitarian presents six things you need to know about this often-forgotten crisis.

“Despite all the failings of the UN, and there are many, we can deliver in the most difficult circumstances. With supplies that make a difference, with support that makes a difference, with presence that makes a difference. So that's what keeps me going. Because we have that opportunity, that potential, those resources, that experience.”

Denise Brown knows what it takes to work under the shadow of war. As UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, she and her team must brave considerable risks as they strive to meet the colossal humanitarian needs of the Ukrainian people in the midst of a brutal war. "The missiles slow us down, but they don’t stop us. That's testament to the courage, determination, and experience of the people we have there.”

In this episode of Awake at Night, Denise Brown reflects on life under bombardment, on the dangers of trips to the front line, and on making a difference in the most difficult of circumstances.

Photo credit: ©OCHA/Saviano Abreu

For the women and girls who are living amid the Horn of Africa crisis, there are increased risks.  Cases of child and forced marriage, female genital mutilation, rape, and other forms of violence have all risen sharply. UNFPA provides medical personnel and supports a range of mobile services and initiatives to reach people, such as this motorcycle ambulance, driven by Mark, who transports women to deliver safely. With increased support from the international community, UNFPA can do more for women to protect them from violence and provide access to medical interventions.