The European Commission announced an initial humanitarian pledge of over €2.3 billion for 2025 to address urgent global crises at the European Humanitarian Forum concluded today in Brussels. These include the humanitarian impact of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the humanitarian situation across the Middle East, particularly Gaza, and the escalating crisis in Sudan. The Forum took place against the backdrop of record humanitarian needs, driven by ongoing armed conflicts, climate-related disasters, and food insecurity. Over 305 million people around the world currently require urgent humanitarian assistance. In this challenging context, the EU and its Member States at the Forum pledged to boost humanitarian diplomacy, strengthen respect for International Humanitarian Law, and foster an integrated response to fragility. The EU is now the world’s leading humanitarian donor and a key advocate for principled humanitarian action.