The ongoing conflict in Gaza has led to a collapse in local food production, with nearly 鈥攁bout 1.84 million people鈥攆acing severe food insecurity and a risk of famine. Amid this crisis, Hakmah El-Hamidi has lost half of her livestock, severely impacting her family's livelihood. Despite the challenges, she expresses gratitude for the assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organization (), which has provided fodder to help her animals recover. FAO has distributed fodder to over 4,400 livestock-keeping families and supplied veterinary kits to around 2,400 families across Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis, and Rafah, helping to improve animal health and preserve livelihoods in the region.
Humanitarian Aid
Every week, thousands of refugees and migrants cross the Dari茅n jungle in search of safety and a better life. In 2023, over 520,000 people, mainly from Venezuela, Ecuador, Haiti, and parts of Africa and South Asia, made the journey. Despite promises from smugglers and social media of an easy passage, migrants often spend four to ten days navigating difficult terrain, carrying their belongings and small children in intense heat before reaching temporary migratory reception centres. Surveys conducted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees () show that about 70% of those arriving in the Dari茅n rely on social media for information, often downplaying the journey's risks. UNHCR鈥檚 鈥 initiative uses social media to share testimonies from refugees and migrants who have survived the crossing with others considering the journey.
Pictured is a refugee family of nine making the most of the limited space in their prefabricated hut in Baqa'a Camp near Amman [circa 1970]. As a result of contributions from governments, voluntary organizations and individuals, prefabricated huts offering better protection against the elements than the canvas tents they'd replaced were set up in the emergency camps in East Jordan.
was by the General Assembly on 8 December 1949 () to carry out direct relief and works programmes for Palestine refugees, following the 1948 war. UNRWA has contributed to the welfare and human development of four generations of Palestine refugees, defined as 鈥減ersons whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948, and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 war鈥. The encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance and emergency assistance, including in times of armed conflict.
When the 缅北禁地agency began operations in 1950, it was responding to the needs of about 750,000 Palestine refugees. Today, some 5.9 million Palestine refugees in the occupied Palestinian territory, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria are eligible for UNRWA services.
documents the critical work the agency has been doing in the region for the last 74 years.
World Food Programme Country Director in Lebanon warns of the urgent need for de-escalation as the region faces escalating humanitarian crises and over a million displaced people.
Over the past year, have condemned Hamas's attacks, called for the immediate release of all hostages, and urged ceasefires, as Gaza remains sealed off with no safe areas for civilians; the 缅北禁地is committed to delivering aid to the people of .
Two months after Hurricane Beryl, one of the most destructive storms in recent memory, residents of the Caribbean鈥檚 once-idyllic Grenadines Islands are still battling to rebuild their lives and livelihood. With winds up to 240 km/h, Beryl devastated essential infrastructure and dwellings in many of these little island towns, displacing thousands. Amid the aftermath, stories of strength and resilience emerge from the rubble. As families continue to pick up the pieces, the International Organization for Migration () is working with the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as national and international partners to provide emergency relief.
El Ni帽o is hitting at a time of already significant unmet needs, with 13.6 million people currently experiencing crisis levels of food insecurity in affected countries. is supporting governments in mitigating the impact of El Ni帽o on food security in the region.
Almost ninety percent of the population of Gaza 鈥 1.9 million people 鈥 have been displaced at least once by evacuation orders issued by Israeli Defense Forces, searching for something that does not exist: safety. The war in Gaza has rendered pregnancy unsafe for women. Ongoing hostilities, repeated evacuation orders, a breakdown in public order and safety, and the challenges of reaching people in need are preventing an effective humanitarian response. The United Nations Population Fund () and partners continue to provide support despite the insurmountable circumstances, but the only way to ensure that people have access to the basics to survive is with an immediate and sustained ceasefire.
In Kharkiv, Ukraine, and the government of Japan are working to restore housing damaged in 2022, bringing hope and a sense of normalcy to a city still under fire.
On the night of 10 September 2023, Storm Daniel caused devastating flooding in Libya's northeast region, particularly in the city of Derna. Thousands lost their lives, and tens of thousands were displaced. The 缅北禁地and other organizations provided urgent humanitarian support after the flooding. Following the disaster, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs () and a local photographer and filmmaker, Mohammed Emnena, documented the community's resilience in the face of tragedy.
This year鈥檚 theme for World Humanitarian Day (WHD) underscored the critical importance of respecting international humanitarian law, which requires the protection of civilians and the humanitarian workers who assist them during war. WHD features a global call to #ActForHumanity and protect civilians, which resonates strongly with the ongoing humanitarian situation in Ukraine. The humanitarian community in Ukraine organized a photo exhibition depicting the war鈥檚 impact on civilians and workers near the front line. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs () features a selection of these images.
23-year-old volunteer Sarah Al Shamali and her colleagues are providing practical support, from educational programmes to distributing safe water, and cultivating a spirit of solidarity among Gaza's youth.
Amara and Aisha, ages 16 and 15, are from Eastern Ethiopia. Both decided to seek better economic opportunities in Saudi Arabia, inspired by a neighbor's sister who had found financial success there. They enlisted the help of a local smuggler to travel through Somalia and Yemen to reach Saudi Arabia, with the promise of finding work as maids to gradually pay off the smuggling fees. They escaped the smugglers in Bossaso, on the northern coast of Somalia, and found refuge at a local Migration Response Centre (MRC) run by the International Organization for Migration ().
Ibrahim Abdulrahman was the top scorer in Sudan's high school exams in 2020. The war in Sudan has disrupted his dream of becoming the country's Minister of Agriculture and the education of millions of young people in a country where more than 90% of school-age children have . More than 10 million people have fled their homes in Sudan since the outbreak of war in 2023. The unprecedented influx has strained community resources and public services in Sudan's White Nile State. is providing life-saving assistance to displaced people, including food, water, health care and cash.
2023 marked the deadliest year on record for humanitarian workers and 2024 could be even worse. Despite 75 years of international law to protect civilians and aid workers, violations continue. Civilians and humanitarian workers are paying the price with their lives, while those responsible escape justice. On World Humanitarian Day, 19 August, join our call to end these violations and the impunity that enables them. It's time for those in power to #ACTFORHUMANITY.