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 69 countries, which will require $51.5 billion. East and Southern Africa have the largest number of people in need (76.8 million). Haiti, Mozambique and Lebanon have seen significant increases in the number of people in need. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has its largest request to date, with a total of $2.3 billion in 2023.
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. Continuing droughts have caused a dramatic increase in WASH needs, and policies of the de facto authorities have driven a 25 per cent increase in protection needs. In Yemen, an average of 10.6 million people were reached with humanitarian assistance in 2022. In Myanmar, the response for 2023 will focus on life-saving activities in conflict-affected areas, with 4.5 million people targeted. Guatemala has the world’s sixth-highest prevalence of chronic undernutrition and the highest in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Global Humanitarian Overview (GHO) 2022 presented initial funding requirements of $41 billion to assist 182 million of the 274 million people in need of humanitarian aid. By mid-November, requirements had grown by 26 per cent to a record high of $51.7 billion for plans in 69 countries. Despite these record funding levels in absolute terms, funding received to date against the 2022 GHO requirements amounts to $24 billion, or 47 per cent. This leaves a concerning gap of almost $27.6 billion between needs and funding received.
