On the occasion of the presentation of the 2025 Global Humanitarian Overview (GHO – Geneva, 4 December 2024), Commissioner for Preparedness, Crisis Management and Equality Hadja Lahbib recalled the alarming scale of violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) across the globe and urged respect for IHL – the best shield for protecting civilians affected by conflict. She also recalled the need to expand the resource base, to ensure adequate humanitarian funding for the growing number of crises worldwide.
Organised by the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the GHO is the world’s most comprehensive, authoritative and evidence-based overview of humanitarian trends and needs worldwide. OCHA’s assessment of the current humanitarian situation globally paints a bleak picture. As was the case last year, the GHO 2025 reflects intensive work by humanitarians to prioritize assistance and protection for the people and places who need it most.
In 2025, 305 million people will require urgent humanitarian assistance and protection, out of which 190 million people will be facing life-threatening needs. This is mainly due to a record number of armed conflicts and the increased frequency and severity of climate-induced disasters. OCHA estimates that over $47 billion would be required to save these people lives.