The United Nations has issued a call to raise $51.5 billion, a record amount, for humanitarian aid in 2023 to assist 230 million people worldwide. Martin Griffiths, the UN's humanitarian affairs chief, stated to journalists that "next year will be the largest humanitarian program" launched globally.
The UN's humanitarian agencies will need $51.5 billion (€49.6 billion) next year to fund their programs aimed at helping the most vulnerable 230 million people in 68 countries. However, the UN does not provide aid to all those in need, as it is expected that a total of 339 million people worldwide will need emergency assistance next year, compared to 274 million in 2022. Griffiths noted that 339 million is "a huge and frustrating number." He lamented that the humanitarian needs that peaked following the COVID-19 pandemic have not diminished since then. He explained that "drought and deadly floods have caused devastation, from Pakistan to the Horn of Africa, and the war in Ukraine has turned part of Europe into a battleground." He added that "more than 100 million people have been displaced worldwide," indicating that all of this "is compounded by the devastation the pandemic inflicted on the poorest in the world."
