The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) says it has secured $8.7 billion in funding and pledges for its 2026 Global Humanitarian Overview.

The office noted that more than $14 billion is still required to meet urgent humanitarian needs worldwide.

Tom Fletcher, under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, disclosed this on Wednesday during a news conference on the progress of the hyper-prioritised Global Humanitarian Overview 2026 plan.

Mr Fletcher said the humanitarian community unveiled a “hyper-prioritised” appeal of $23 billion over two months ago to provide life-saving assistance to 87 million people facing the most severe crises globally.

According to him, the plan will be delivered by around 2000 humanitarian organisations across the global humanitarian community, with over 60 per cent being local partners and organisations.

He said the response so far had been encouraging, with several governments backing the initiative despite competing financial pressures.

According to him, the initial $5 billion contribution includes $810 million in unrestricted funding.

This, he described as the “gold standard” of humanitarian financing because it allows UN agencies to deploy resources quickly where needs are greatest.

Mr Fletcher expressed appreciation to key donors who have already stepped forward to support the plan.

He listed them as the United States, the European Commission, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Norway, Denmark, the United Arab Emirates, Belgium, and Qatar.

Despite the early progress, Mr Fletcher warned that the funding gap remained significant and could have devastating consequences if not urgently addressed.

The humanitarian chief noted that the appeal is part of a broader effort to support vulnerable populations affected by conflicts, displacement, economic shocks and climate-related disasters.

He added that in January alone, humanitarian organisations reached over seven million people with life-saving assistance across 17 operations, including nearly two million people in Sudan, despite severe security and logistical challenges.

The UN official also disclosed that the humanitarian community had already begun expanding funding sources beyond governments.

According to him, $60 million has been raised from foundations, corporations and individual donors, as part of a wider push to involve the private sector and civil society in closing the funding gap.

He urged new partners to step forward, noting that when people understand what humanitarian funding represents and delivers, they will overwhelmingly support the action.

Mr Fletcher added that UN-OCHA would launch a global public campaign to mobilise additional support from businesses, technology firms and the wider public.

(NAN)