ISLAMABAD: The United Nations and its humanitarian partners on Monday launched their 2026 global appeal, setting aside $64.9 million to support 1.9 million vulnerable people in Pakistan. The funding is part of a $33 billion international plan aimed at addressing urgent needs stemming from conflicts, climate disasters, epidemics, earthquakes and agricultural failures.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), the immediate priority is to secure $23 billion to save 87 million lives. The broader 2026 target seeks to assist 135 million people across 50 countries through 23 national response operations and six regional plans for refugees and migrants.
The appeal — titled the 2026 Response Plan under the motto Life by Life — allocates $64.9 million for Pakistan, focusing on communities affected by recurring climate shocks, economic hardship, and lingering vulnerabilities following the 2022 floods. UNOCHA said the plan aims to deliver essential assistance, including food security, health services, protection support and emergency shelter.
Despite constrained funding in recent years, UNOCHA reported that 98 million people worldwide received aid in 2025, even as global humanitarian operations faced steep cuts and increased risks. Last year, more than 320 aid workers — mostly local staff — were killed, underscoring the growing dangers faced by humanitarian personnel.
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The 2026 appeal identifies the Occupied Palestinian Territory as the largest individual response plan, seeking $4.1 billion to support three million people affected by unprecedented levels of violence and destruction. Sudan — the site of the world’s largest displacement crisis — requires $2.9 billion for 20 million people, while the largest regional plan targets Syria, with $2.8 billion earmarked for 8.6 million people.
The highly prioritised appeal follows a year in which humanitarian lifelines were strained and, in some places, snapped due to severe funding cuts.https://t.co/GhaDskrkjQ
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) December 9, 2025
UNOCHA warned that global humanitarian systems have been severely strained. Funding for the 2025 appeal amounted to just $12 billion — the lowest in a decade — resulting in 25 million fewer people being reached compared to 2024. The agency said reduced resources have led to surging hunger, weakened health systems, stalled mine-clearance efforts and widespread losses in education and protection services.
UN Humanitarian Chief Tom Fletcher said the new appeal prioritises life-saving interventions while emphasising reform and efficiency. “We are shifting power to local organisations, putting more money directly into the hands of those who need it, and renewing humanitarian action with idealism, humility and hope,” he said.
The Pakistan allocation forms a small but vital component of the global plan, which seeks to stabilise fragile communities and strengthen their resilience amid growing global crises.
