Helping People in Crisis Together

European Parliament resolution on humanitarian aid in a time of polycrisis (20 January 2026)

• Scale of the crisis – 305 million people worldwide need urgent aid; 319 million face acute food insecurity, 70 % of whom live in fragile or conflict‑affected settings. By 2030, 90 % of global poverty will be in Africa, where 85 million people in Eastern and Southern Africa need help, 35 % of that need coming from Sudan. 122 million people are forcibly displaced, 60 % in fragile contexts, and 70 % of EU asylum seekers come from these areas.

• Funding gap – Only 43 % of the USD 50 billion UN appeal was met; by July 2025 only 13 % of the 2025 UN appeal had been reached. USAID cuts could cause 14 million deaths by 2030 and 4.5 million children under five to die. 473 million children live in conflict zones, 52 million are out of school. 508 humanitarian workers were killed in Gaza; 21 million people in the DRC and 23.7 million in Afghanistan need aid.

• Calls for increased aid – Propose a EUR 25 billion Global Europe Instrument; keep humanitarian aid on a separate budget line; preserve the emergency aid reserve; increase transparency, monitoring and local partnership; protect neutrality and independence.

• Protection of humanitarian workers – Demand accountability for attacks on workers, hospitals and convoys; require safety measures and support for local staff; enforce UN Security Council Resolution 2730 (2024).

• Gender equality and women’s rights – Reaffirm the Women, Peace and Security agenda; 0.3 % of bilateral aid goes to women‑led organisations; 5 % of aid in fragile contexts must go to women‑led groups; 25 % of humanitarian funding should reach local actors by 2027. 10 % of ODA must be humanitarian; 0.2 % of GNI to least‑developed countries by 2030; 0.7 % of GNI as ODA target.

• Local and anticipatory action – 25 % of humanitarian funding to local actors by 2027; invest in early‑warning systems, risk analysis, community resilience and climate funds; link humanitarian, development and peace efforts in fragile settings.

• Humanitarian reset and diplomacy – Maintain funding for gender‑based violence and protection; develop an EU humanitarian diplomacy strategy; coordinate with the UN; ensure unhindered access in Gaza, Sudan, the DRC, Ukraine and Afghanistan.

• Monitoring and accountability – Strengthen data collection, gender analysis, and independent reporting; enforce gender‑responsive budgeting; protect sexual and reproductive health services; include women in peace processes.

• Overall principle – The EU must uphold the core humanitarian values of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence while expanding funding, protecting workers, empowering local and women‑led actors, and addressing the root causes of crises.