Geneva – The United Nations’ emergency relief chief has sounded the alarm over the escalating human and financial cost of the ongoing Middle East war, which he said is now consuming $1 billion per day, further straining the global humanitarian system.
Speaking on Thursday, Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, highlighted the critical funding gap facing UN emergency operations. He noted that a $23 billion appeal launched last December to aid 87 million of the world’s most vulnerable people remains approximately two-thirds underfunded, leaving more than $14 billion urgently needed to deliver lifesaving assistance.
“Even just one billion US dollars would allow us to save millions of lives. So, the choice is there: are we going to close this gap?” Fletcher said, emphasizing that without rapid donor support, “millions of people will die.”
Global Impact and Urgent Appeals
The humanitarian plan, involving around 2,000 organizations—60 percent of which are local partners—has already reached over seven million people facing severe needs in 17 crisis-affected countries, including Haiti, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Sudan. In Sudan alone, Fletcher said, nearly two million people received aid in January despite security and logistical challenges.
Fletcher warned that the war in the Middle East could further exacerbate global crises. He expressed concern over shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, which handles roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil, saying that rising costs for food, energy, and fertilizer would ripple across sub-Saharan Africa and beyond, impacting the delivery of humanitarian aid.
“I’m worried that further escalation will damage other supply routes. All of this has a direct impact on our humanitarian supplies, including going to areas of key need in sub-Saharan Africa,” Fletcher said.
Call for Immediate Support
The UN aid chief urged donors to move pledged funds early in the year, rather than waiting until later, to maximize lifesaving impact. He also highlighted the growing role of non-governmental contributions: foundations, corporations, and individual donors have contributed $60 million to date, but Fletcher stressed that governments alone cannot bridge the funding gap.
“We cannot rely on governments alone,” he said. “We need those who have more funds available to get those funds moving fast towards this plan in the first half of the year, not the second half.”
Fletcher criticized the prioritization of military spending over humanitarian needs, noting that the proliferation of drones in the Middle East conflict reflects a global preference for developing increasingly deadly weapons rather than saving lives.
The UN’s urgent appeal aims to provide aid “one life at a time”, focusing on the 87 million people in greatest need, while highlighting the broader consequences of escalating global conflicts on already fragile humanitarian systems.
