The United Nations has launched its 2026 appeal for aid by asking for just half the amount it says it needs, despite humanitarian needs globally being at an all-time high.

The international institution appealed for $23bn on Monday, while acknowledging that, due to a plunge in donor funding, the figure would shut out tens of millions of people in urgent need of help.

The UN had originally sought $47bn for 2025, but later revised the figure as aid cuts by the new administration in the United States and followed by other major Western donors, including Germany, became clear.

By November, it had received just $12bn – the lowest in a decade – covering just more than a quarter of its stated needs, leading it to prioritise only the most desperate.

The UN said the situation remains desperate

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