The United Nations has allocated $160 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to provide urgent, life-saving aid to people affected by 12 of the world’s most underfunded humanitarian crises.
The funding will support humanitarian operations in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East as part of a wider UN effort to assist around 87 million people facing severe humanitarian needs in 2026, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said there was no time to waste in reaching the millions of people in need. He also emphasized that financial assistance alone would not resolve the crises, calling on world leaders to improve humanitarian access, remove barriers and demonstrate political commitment.
Around $150 million will be distributed among Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Cuba, Mali, Niger, the occupied Palestinian territory, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen.
Fletcher has also identified Afghanistan, the occupied Palestinian territory, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen as crises requiring urgent diplomatic efforts to ensure humanitarian organizations can reach affected communities.
An additional $10 million will be dedicated to meeting the needs of people with disabilities across the 12 crisis areas.
With the latest allocation, total CERF funding provided during 2026 has reached $483 million.
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