The United Nations’ top aid official says 305 million people need to be saved next year
“The world is burning…We are now facing polycystic disease globally and it is the most vulnerable people in the world who are paying the price. Tom Fletcher, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator and head of the UN aid coordination office, said: We are addressing the impact of conflicts – many conflicts – and Crises last longer and are more intense. OCHAin a $47.4 billion appeal to provide life-saving aid in more than 30 countries and nine refugee-hosting regions.
Impossible choices
It is a shame because OCHA’s new humanitarian assessment on behalf of more than 1,500 humanitarian partners, projects that of the 305 million people in need, only 190 million can be reached.
Lack of funding is just one reason why in countries where people have endured violence and instability for decades, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
“In the DRC, as with all these conflicts, we are ready to do more, our mission is to do more,” Mr. Fletcher emphasized. “My people are desperate to get out there and deliver because they are truly on the front lines. They can see what is needed but we need these resources. That is our call to action and we also need the world to do more; who have the power to do more, to challenge this age of impunity and to challenge this era of indifference.”
Lac Vert, Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo. Goma has more than 2 million residents, with at least 500,000 people displaced.
Gatekeeper role
As the United Nations’ newly appointed top aid official, Mr. Fletcher pledged to visit capitals around the world to “bust” governments in search of partnerships and delegations. new connections for the world’s most vulnerable people.
“I had to find a way to reframe this argument in a way that would resonate with the general public,” he added.
Citing his previous role as a UK ambassador with experience in peacebuilding and conflict, from Kenya to Lebanon and Northern Ireland, the new OCHA director emphasized the need to ensure that aid continues to be delivered where it is needed most.
“I have a very clear mission of humanitarian provision,” he said, before paying tribute to “Extraordinary humanitarian business diplomacy” by his predecessor Martin Griffiths, who resigned in June due to health reasons.
Electoral change
Asked about the changing geopolitical landscape in a year rich with hugely important national and presidential elections, Mr. Fletcher emphasized that “it’s not just about America…we are facing the election of several governments who will question more what the United Nations does…But I don’t believe we can’t make that case with them; I do not believe that there is no compassion in these soon-to-be-elected governments.”
In comments to journalists at the launch of the 2025 Global Humanitarian Overview, Mr. Fletcher confirmed that communities continue to face multiple crises.
“The problem is not only that there are so many conflicts happening at the same time, but also the duration of those conflicts; The average time is 10 years,” he said. “We will not end the conflict before the next conflict begins. And the reality is that those conflicts are fierce and the impact on civilians is huge. I mentioned Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine as examples of that, with their disregard for international law and in every case hindering our work.”
Climate crisis accelerator
While highlighting how many lives have been shattered by conflict around the world – especially in Sudan, where the new UN aid chief spent last week visiting and talking to the bereaved caused by war – Mr. Fletcher emphasized how severe the climate crisis has made people susceptible to disease.
“What scares me is that those two huge demand drivers are now coming togetherhe said. And that’s what makes our job so difficult. And they often come together in areas that already suffer from huge levels of poverty and inequality.”
Mr Fletcher continued: The latest estimates show that around 123 million people have been displaced by conflict worldwide. “And within that group, violations against children are also at record levels and I have seen this of course in Sudan; Currently one in five children is living in a conflict zone.”
Challenging aid barriers
Among his priorities, the UN’s top aid official stressed that ensuring access to aid remains a key issue he will seek to address. “I have been talking to our teams on the ground every day and they are facing many obstacles in getting the basics of humanitarian aid through,” he noted.
“Our job is to get humanitarian assistance across the board, checkpoint by checkpoint, border by border, that’s what I did in Sudan… Arguing truck by truck for that humanitarian delivery. That is our mission.”
The launch of the 2025 Global Humanitarian Overview on Wednesday in Geneva, Kuwait and Nairobi will also be an opportunity to promote greater respect and understanding of the laws of war and the international humanitarian law of hostilities. soldiers, to protect civilians and relief teams have died in record numbers this year.
“It’s not just about the brutality of these conflicts – Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Syria – but it’s about that deliberately ignoring international humanitarian law” Mr. Fletcher said. And as for the facts and results, it seems we have somehow lost our anchor.”
