In early December 2025, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher outlined a “hyper-prioritised” aid strategy as part of the Global Humanitarian Overview (GHO) 2026, targeting life-saving assistance for about 87 million people across roughly 50 countries.
Providing an update on the plan’s progress during a news conference on Wednesday, Fletcher said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) has so far secured $8.7 billion in funding and pledges toward the 2026 “hyper-prioritised” plan. However, a $14.3 billion funding gap is still required to render the life-saving supports.
According to a report, the 87 million people targeted by the plan are those facing the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. Fletcher highlighted that the remaining funding gap threatens “devastating consequences” if not addressed with urgency. Notably, UN-OCHA budgeted $33 billion for the GHO but was reduced to $23 billion in January after several challenges from donors.
However, the amount raised so far represents 26% (about one-quarter) of the initial total funds, leaving $23 billion outstanding.
However, it's worth noting that of the amount secured so far, $5 billion was received. This includes $810 million in unrestricted “gold standard” funding that can be deployed quickly to urgent needs. The donors that participated in the funding include the United Kingdom (UK), the United States (US), Germany, and the European Commission (representing EU member state contributions).
These donors have been specifically cited as key supporters in the initial funding announcements for the UN‑OCHA humanitarian plan. However, several national governments have stepped forward with a pledge towards the plan. Notably, the US pledged about $2bn through the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) came in with an early $550 million commitment.
In addition to that, the UN has raised $60 million from foundations, corporations, and individuals to bridge the funding gap. This is part of its plan to expand funding sources beyond government contributions and ensure more flexible, rapid support for the areas of greatest need.
Other notable donors include Canada, France, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Finland, Austria, and Australia. “We have received extraordinary backing from a significant number of governments for this plan… That is over a third of what we’re looking to get this year for this plan delivered in the first quarter,” Fletcher stated.
The ‘hyper-prioritised’ execution plans
The UN has planned to deliver the hyper-prioritised plan through 2,000 humanitarian organisations, with over 60% of them being local partners. The UN says it was able to reach over seven million people in January 2026, with Sudan alone accounting for about two million of them.
The UN is also involving the tech sector and private businesses—especially in the area of digital money and innovation—to expand the humanitarian reach. Fletcher made it clear that government alone cannot carry the full financial burden of responding to this global humanitarian crisis. He said, "Together we can help end someone’s crisis one life at a time.”
In June 2025, when the UN had challenges raising enough funds for the humanitarian plan, it reduced the global appeal to about $29 billion and planned to help 114 million people with it. The reduction was from its original GHO target of $44 billion. Despite that, funding still fell short, as many donors contributed less than needed.
Notably, in January 2026, the US withdrew from 31 UN bodies, adding to ongoing reductions in support for the organisation. In 2026, the UN slashed the budget even further, cutting its humanitarian request to $23 billion—the “immediate priority” within a larger $33 billion plan that's targeted towards the people who are affected by climate disasters, war, and epidemics (diseases that continue to grow).
