The United Nations is urgently seeking 33 billion dollars from member states to provide humanitarian assistance to millions around the world, a figure the organization calls “critical” amid rising crises.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 240 million people currently require humanitarian aid and protection due to conflict, climate change, displacement, and disease.

The 2026 appeal aims to support roughly 135 million people affected by wars, natural disasters, food shortages, and humanitarian needs in countries including Palestine and Sudan.

Bloomberg reported that of the requested funds, 23 billion dollar is earmarked for the “most urgent, life-saving work,” but funding shortfalls are forcing the UN to tighten operations.

As of December 2025, unpaid dues to the organization stand at nearly 1.6 billion dollars.

OCHA emphasizes that these funds would come from voluntary contributions beyond the mandatory annual dues of member states. However, prospects are uncertain. Last year, the UN requested 45 billion dollars but received only 12 billion dollars, the lowest total in a decade.

“I’m trying to be realistic about what would be a stretch goal for us in the current funding conditions,” UN Under-Secretary-General Tom Fletcher told bloomberg reporters.

The funding crunch has been worsened by delays from major member states, including the United States.

In February 2025, the White House issued an executive order titled “Withdrawing the United States from and Ending Funding to Certain United Nations Organizations and Reviewing United States Support to All International Organizations.”

The directive effectively halts some U.S. contributions, deepening the UN’s cash-flow challenges and causing widespread disruptions, including cutbacks or suspensions of aid programs worldwide.