Humanitarian agencies are witnessing alarming human suffering due to a proliferation of conflicts by WVI, OCHA, Global Protection Cluster, agencies   Dec. 2025   This statement is delivered on behalf of 108 Non Governmenmt Organisations, including humanitarian organisations with operations in countries covered by the Global Humanitarian Overview (GHO):   We are witnessing unspeakable human suffering due to the proliferation of conflicts lacking political solutions and the normalization of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) violations. Indiscriminate attacks on civilians and humanitarian workers, the bombing of schools and hospitals, and the use of starvation and sexual violence as methods of warfare are devastating communities worldwide.   Climate shocks, economic fragility, and protracted conflict are exacerbating humanitarian needs, leading to unprecedented levels of displacement and an escalating global hunger crisis.   Boundary-setting and narrower definitions of people in need are resulting in a highly prioritized 2026 GHO. With limited complementarity with development and other actors, it is unclear who will target those left behind. Despite exceptional prioritization efforts, humanitarian funding lags behind and Overseas Development Assistance cuts impact both humanitarian action and development gains.   We must turn the tide together in 2026. We urge donors to fully fund the 2026 GHO and to provide quality funding as early as possible in the year to enable flexible, timely, and principled humanitarian action.   The catastrophic effects of IHL violations – including on children, women, and people living with disabilities – urgently require donors’ re-commitment to the traditionally underfunded sectors of gender and Gender Based Violence, education and child protection in emergencies, and the stepping up of funding for hunger and forced displacement.   We call for a substantial increase in the volume and quality of funding to local and national actors, including Women’s organizations, whose essential leadership in humanitarian response must be recognized. This should be rooted in accountability to - and meaningful participation of affected people.   All stakeholders must redouble efforts to prevent and resolve conflict, and we urge humanitarian, development, peace and climate actors to work together to make nexus programming a reality and foster resilience. This requires increased Overseas Development Asistance (ODA) directed to fragile settings.   Nothing will reduce humanitarian needs unless civilians are protected. The 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions is also a year of unconscionable IHL violations. We urge parties to conflicts to abide by their obligations, and we call on governments to leverage their influence and ensure that the consistent application of IHL is a top priority.   http://www.wvi.org/newsroom/emergencies/nogs-call-action-and-funding-global-humanitarian-overview   As the UN and partners launch the new 2026 global humanitarian appeal today – aiming to support 135 million people in 50 countries – Islamic Relief has joined 89 NGOs and networks to issue this collective statement (Extract):   This has been a year like no other for millions of people enduring unimaginable hardship amid escalating conflicts, hunger, displacement, climate disasters and inequality. The number and intensity of conflicts worldwide are at their highest since modern records began in 1946, threatening global peace and security. The political pushback against inclusion and gender equality is already reversing hard won gains and threatening women and girls’ rights worldwide, especially in conflict settings.   Violations of international humanitarian law – meted out with savage cruelty – are met with barely more than a shrug. Aid is obstructed, and humanitarian and healthcare workers are being killed or injured in record numbers. War crimes and crimes against humanity, including the use of starvation and gender-based violence as weapons, draw condemnation but little or no concrete action to protect civilians, fuelling the crisis of trust and legitimacy our sector is facing. Women of all ages, children, people living with disabilities, and older persons are among the hardest hit.   The humanitarian crises we are called to address result in large part from a lack of political leadership. Despite much-publicised peace deals, there is no political will to maintain peace or hold perpetrators of international crimes accountable. Many crises have persisted for decades, with a total failure to address the underlying causes.   Brutal cuts to humanitarian assistance have plunged communities deeper into poverty and deprivation, stripping resources from local and national organizations that are first responders. In March, nearly half of women-led organisations feared they would have to shut down. A more recent UN Women survey of civil society and women’s rights organisations found nearly 100% were affected by aid cuts; for three-quarters, the impact was significant.   The Feminist Humanitarian Network has documented a disproportionate impact on organisations led by women with disabilities, young women, and indigenous women. Child protection capacity has also been drastically affected, with over half of surveyed local and national organisations losing 40% of child protection budgets. Even before this year’s cuts, ODI research has shown that refugee-led organisations received a pittance in funding, just USD 49 million in 2024.   The scale of suffering is impossible to capture, but some examples provide a window into the horror:   The number and intensity of conflicts have more than doubled since 2010, reaching the highest number since 1946. Existing conflicts are more protracted, and new conflicts loom on the horizon. Spending on weapons has surged; revenues from sales of arms and military services reached a record USD 679 billion in 2024, 18 times the amount that was spent on humanitarian aid in the same year.   Between 2023 and 2024, the number of women and children killed in armed conflicts quadrupled compared with the previous two years. More than 1 in every 5 children now lives in a conflict zone. This year’s annual report on children and armed conflict recorded a 45% increase in grave violations against children in 2024, compared with 2022. Widespread impunity allows violations against civilians to continue undeterred.   Famine was declared in the Middle East for the first time under the IPC system, as civilians in Gaza were deliberately starved. Famine has also been confirmed by the IPC in Sudan, and is again a risk in South Sudan, while Haiti, Mali, and Yemen are hotspots of highest concern. Millions of people in Afghanistan, Myanmar, and elsewhere are at emergency levels of acute food insecurity.   Climate change continues to devastate communities across the world, fuelling conflicts and displacement.   Forced displacement has doubled in the past 10 years, but is met with decisions by states to cut funding and implement efforts to deter migration, externalise asylum procedures, reduce refugee protection space, and renege on their burden-sharing responsibilities. These policies and the lack of legal pathways for migration also contribute to the rise in human trafficking.   Women of all ages and girls in conflict settings, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, and Sudan, who are often at the forefront of community-led response, face unacceptable gender-based violence, including horrific sexual violence.   Women and girls are affected by high levels of reproductive violence, including deliberate destruction or blocking of sexual and reproductive healthcare. In 2023, 58% of maternal deaths, 50% of newborn deaths, and 51% of stillbirths occurred worldwide in 29 countries with humanitarian crises. This is expected to worsen, as many women of all ages and girls face life threatening consequences from the loss of access to quality health services.   The decline in funding that followed the COVID-19 response along with the progressive prioritisation, lightening, and boundary-setting, including the “hyper-prioritisation” of the 2025 GHO, have already left millions behind. The 2026 GHO edition has been tightened further.   We appreciate the continued investment in evidence-based identification of both the full number of people in need of assistance, those most in need, and those to be targeted. But we warn that we have reached the limits of “severity of needs analysis”. As the Emergency Relief Coordinator noted, “the cruel math of doing less with less” comes down to an impossible choice of who lives, who does not and between “saving lives today and giving people any chance at a future tomorrow”.   The loss of thousands of staff across the sector directly impacts communities. We have less capacity to coordinate, and to assess and meet the needs of people requiring assistance.   Even with reduced capacity, what we do know is that needs are at unacceptable levels and continue to grow.   Decline in development funding, in disarmament and peace efforts, and failure to limit the impacts of climate change mean that root causes remain unaddressed. Worryingly, states are withdrawing from multilateral agreements, such as the Ottawa Treaty, that were developed with the goal of better protecting civilians.   Despite broad public support for aid in most donor countries, politicians pander to anti-aid actors, adopting narratives and policies that create a sense of “us versus them” for their constituencies. We urge donors to resist these narratives and fully fund the 2026 GHO with timely, quality funding that reaches local and national organizations as directly as possible, including those led by women, which are often best placed to respond.   Humanitarian suffering anywhere is a concern for us all. We call upon all nations and additional stakeholders, including private sector, Multilateral and International Financial Institutions, to contribute principled and quality humanitarian funding.   Political action to prevent and end conflict is paramount. We need more ODA, including development and peace funding, directed to fragile and conflict-affected settings.   we need political action to firmly defend humanitarian norms and values. We welcome initiatives to improve compliance and accountability, such as the Global Initiative to Galvanise Political Commitment to IHL and the Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel. Such efforts remind us that the law is clear. What is lacking is the political will to respect it.   Violations must end. Parties to conflicts must uphold their obligations, and all governments must use their influence and fulfil their responsibility to end impunity and ensure consistent adherence to international law.   http://reliefweb.int/report/world/year-no-other-ngo-statement-launch-new-un-2026-appeal http://humanitarianaction.info/document/global-humanitarian-overview-2026/article/under-fire-and-under-pressure-what-happens-when-humanitarian-action-hindered http://humanitarianaction.info/document/global-humanitarian-overview-2026/article/trends-crises-and-needs-world-breaking-point http://humanitarianaction.info/document/global-humanitarian-overview-2026/article/humanitarians-action-delivering-2025-amid-extreme-challenges http://humanitarianaction.info/document/global-humanitarian-overview-2026   http://www.icrc.org/en/article/humanitarian-outlook-2026 http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/unicef-calls-urgent-investment-life-saving-services-children-global-humanitarian http://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-prioritize-feeding-110-million-hungriest-2026-global-hunger-deepens-amidst-uncertain http://www.nrc.no/news/2025/december/2026-millions-in-need-will-not-get-aid-unless-global-solidarity-revived http://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/analysis/2025/12/11/abrupt-transitions-global-humanitarian-overview-pushes-dangerous-trend http://www.rescue.org/press-release/irc-emergency-watchlist-2026-new-world-disorder-driving-unprecedented-humanitarian   The State of Protection in 2025. (Global Protection Cluster)   This note aims to support Member States in aligning political, financial and operational support with realities on the ground. This year’s context is shaped by two major shifts: the deepening of protection risks in large-scale conflicts and protracted crises – from Gaza, Sudan and eastern DRC to Myanmar, Ukraine and multiple contexts across the Sahel and the Americas – and the restructuring of the humanitarian system under the Humanitarian Reset, which prioritises life-saving outcomes and simplified coordination amid significant funding cuts.   Global Protection Trends   The global protection landscape in 2025 is marked by a scale and severity of civilian harm that surpasses previous years. According to the Global Protection Update of October 2025, an estimated 395 million people in 23 countries are exposed to protection risks (including 254 million in Africa, 78 million in Asia, 28 million in the Americas, 20 million in MENA and 15 million in Ukraine).   This number reflects individuals and communities facing direct, often life-threatening threats from violence, coercion and deliberate deprivation. The estimate is based on extensive monitoring of protection risks at subnational level undertaken by Protection Clusters, complemented by 24 national and subnational Protection Analysis Updates published in 2025.   The analysis confirms that the most severe and recurrent protection risks include attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, abductions, arbitrary detentions, severe movement restrictions and forced displacement, all driven by conflicts and by the growing disregard for and violations of international humanitarian and human rights law and the lack of accountability for it.   Gender-based violence, impediments to and denial of legal identity, and intensifying psychosocial distress, compounded by the denial of essential services and opportunities, are consistently reported at severe levels, further highlighting the impact of these risks on crisis-affected individuals.   Harm to civilians is increasingly heightened by social, psychological, and economic threats that extend beyond physical dangers. These are driven by societal norms, misinformation, and failures within legal systems, exploiting vulnerabilities such as social exclusion, limited awareness of rights, and economic instability.   This year’s trends show clearer, group-specific patterns of harm: for example, men and boys remain heavily affected by abductions and illegal detention, while children face persistent risks of family separation and forced recruitment (especially boys). Women and girls continue to be disproportionately impacted, with early and forced marriage and other gender-based harms.   These patterns highlight an increased stratification of protection risks. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Myanmar, the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt - Gaza & West Bank), Sudan, and Ukraine face the most extreme situations.   This year, the deterioration was most visible in Gaza, where the crisis has deepened into famine amid continued bombardment and the destruction of civilian infrastructure and lives. In Sudan, particularly in El Fasher, civilians remained trapped in siege-like conditions for more than 500 days followed by horrendous rapes, killings and other abuses.   In the eastern DRC, the rapid escalation of the M23 offensive in January resulted in the capture of Goma and Bukavu within three weeks, the killing of an estimated 3,000 people, and the displacement of over one million additional people, bringing total internal displacement to 6.4 million.   Myanmar continues to experience widespread rights violations, with more than 19,900 people arrested since the 2021 coup and 7,100 still in detention, including humanitarian workers. In Mozambique, escalation of attacks on civilians and civilian objects, and destruction of property has led in recent weeks to forced displacement of nearly 100.000 people.   The number of people displaced by gang violence in Haiti doubled from September 2024 to October 2025, while killings, kidnapping and sexual violence are being used as tactics to extort and terrorize communities.   Other crises reflect a similar pattern of risk concentration. In Venezuela, the collapse of public institutions, combined with extreme economic decline is driving families into negative coping mechanisms such as child marriage, child labour and trafficking.   Across the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin, armed group activity, forced recruitment, displacement, sexual violence and denial of services continue to dominate the protection landscape, while growing insecurity further constrains humanitarian access.   A coordinated subnational analysis by the Protection Cluster and partners covering 2,673 administrative areas in 23 countries, shows that in every country assessed, many communities are living in areas where multiple severe or extreme protection risks overlap. All countries in the analysis have at least one area facing combined severe or extreme protection risks.   Overall, 32% of all assessed areas across the 23 countries face extreme or severe levels of violence, coercion and deprivation.   For example, in Afghanistan, some districts are exposed to eleven severe or extreme risks at the same time. Communities in Burkina Faso. South Sudan, Niger, Somalia, Myanmar and Colombia see overlapping patterns of violence, deprivation and limited access leaving populations with almost no protective options.   Given the current humanitarian context – marked by significant service gaps and limited response capacity – it is essential to identify specific geographic areas where the combination of violence, coercion, and deliberate deprivation is not only acute and harmful, but at clear risk of further escalation.   This situation is highly worrying and leads to further deterioration when communities are hit by natural hazards or the impacts of climate change. In areas where protection risks already overlap, contingency planning and preparedness are extremely difficult, and natural hazards become far more devastating, creating new protection risks, and increasing humanitarian needs.   Recent examples include severe flooding in South Sudan, Nigeria, Venezuela and earthquakes in Myanmar and Afghanistan, which have displaced large populations, exposed them to heightened protection risks (19.9 million in Myanmar and 1.2 million in Afghanistan), disrupted essential services and worsened pre-existing vulnerabilities.   In these contexts, individuals face the combined effects of environmental hazards, conflict and exclusion – an interaction that greatly increases the risks of exploitation, violence, loss of property and family separation.   Protection risks remain high in countries experiencing accelerated transition, where changes in humanitarian presence and programming create additional vulnerabilities.   In Cameroon, the Far North, Southwest and Northwest regions face high levels of abductions, kidnappings, unlawful detentions and killings. In Colombia, an estimated 167 municipalities face at least four of the 15 protection risks at severe or extreme levels.   In Nigeria, 11 Local Government Area (LGAs) face a similar combination of risks. Across several operations (Afghanistan, DRC, Syria) massive return movements have occurred – sometimes under adverse circumstances – underscoring the critical need for sustained protection support to ensure that people can return in safety, dignity, and with their rights upheld.   Emerging protection challenges are increasingly shaped by both deliberate tactics of harm and rapid technological change. In several crises, the weaponization of food, the use of famine as a method of warfare, and siege tactics are being employed to exert control over civilian populations, cutting off access to essential goods and services and exacerbating vulnerabilities.   The continued, and at times increasing, use of rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war to exert power and control, deny and destroy the lives and dignity of women, children and also men remain worrying.   At the same time, technology is transforming the protection landscape: while digital tools can improve early warning, communication, and access to assistance, they also introduce risks such as surveillance, data exploitation, misinformation, technology facilitated violence, and exclusion of those without digital access. Together, these dynamics demand adapted protection strategies that address both intentional deprivation and the evolving digital threats facing affected communities.   The use of new methods of warfare – particularly drones – by state forces, armed groups, and gangs is outpacing existing prevention, protection, and response capacities, creating new and poorly regulated risk environments for civilians.   The use of explosive weapons in populated areas is only adding to an already dire situation.   The rapid concentration of humanitarian assistance in a limited number of locations, combined with widespread service reductions, is shifting disproportionate responsibility and risk onto local NGOs and frontline actors – often without the resources, security guarantees, or institutional support required to operate safely and effectively. Together, these trends point to a global protection environment where conflict-driven risks, discrimination, deliberate deprivation and institutional collapse increasingly overlap.   The deterioration is widespread, multi-dimensional and advancing faster than the humanitarian architecture, even after the Reset, can adapt to.   Large segments of the population are now directly exposed to severe violence, coercion and deprivation, driven by the flagrant disregard and violations of IHL and human rights law and lack of accountability for it.   These harms are further compounded by discriminatory norms, misinformation, weak legal systems, limited awareness about rights and economic instability.   Protection in the Context of the Humanitarian Reset   The Humanitarian Reset, announced in March 2025, represents a system-wide effort to reform humanitarian action, improve efficiency and sharpen the focus on life-saving activities. For the protection community and in light of the protection situation across the globe, the Reset has reinforced a core message: most humanitarian crises are fundamentally protection crises – stemming from repeated violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, deliberate deprivation and systemic exclusion.   The Reset is taking place amid historic funding cuts that threaten the continued delivery of essential protection services. In 2024, protection actors received US$1.9 billion (53% of the US$3.6 billion required). By 30th November 2025, the Protection Cluster and its AoRs have received 34% of its US$3.5 billion requirement, with projected shortfalls of up to 66% across major crises.   Financial resources for protection are not necessarily evenly distributed across crises. For instance, emergencies in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Myanmar, and Haiti have particularly large protection funding gaps (less than 25% funded), while several protracted crises remain chronically underfunded (Somalia, Yemen, the Sahel and the Americas). The 10 most underfunded protection crises this year are El Salvador, Mali, Myanmar, Niger, Honduras, Guatemala, Mozambique, Somalia, Venezuela, Haiti.   The hyper-prioritisation exercise launched in June 2025 provides a stark illustration of this growing gap between needs and available resources. Across all operations, 168 million people were identified as in need of protection; however, only 24.7 million people – 14.7% of the total – could be prioritised under the hyper-prioritised plans. This left 143.3 million people unreached, despite high levels of exposure to harm.   Meeting the protection needs of even this reduced caseload required US$1.2 billion in urgently mobilised resources. Funding gaps are growing faster and becoming larger.   Protection actors have long had to adapt and work together to keep the most critical services going. What is different and more worrying this year is the impact these gaps are having on how protection is delivered. Protection programmes were forced to scale down or stop altogether in multiple countries, increasing the risk of exposure to violence and exploitation.   A shrinking humanitarian footprint is also weakening early warning and protection monitoring in many contexts, shifting away from prevention. Loss of experienced protection staff has weakened survivor-centered care and the delivery of specialized services.   If funding pressures continue, reduced protection presence on the ground will mean more violations undetected, delays in critical response, and greater exposure of civilians to escalating threats.   Women-led and survivor-led organisations were disproportionally impacted by the funding cuts and report shrinking civic space and growing operational constraints. The closure of Women and Girls Safe Spaces and Child Friendly Spaces, case management and other essential services is already happening in numerous operations, eroding hard-won gains in Child Protection and Gender Based Violence prevention and response and community led engagement.   Meanwhile, the Reset is accelerating the transition of humanitarian coordination structures in countries such as Cameroon, Colombia, Eritrea, Iraq, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan and Zimbabwe. Careful planning and adequate resourcing are needed to mitigate protection gaps in contexts where national systems have limited capacity to take on these responsibilities.   The transition process and planning must be grounded in a robust protection analysis that systematically consider remaining protection risks and resulting needs that may be exacerbated by, or result from, changes to the coordination of the humanitarian response, and population groups at risk of being left behind.   Protection must be recognised, resourced and supported as central to life-saving action. Without this recognition, the narrowing of the humanitarian response footprint risks amplifying the very protection risks the Reset seeks to address.   Uphold international law and demand protection of civilians.   Member States should press all parties to immediately cease violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, including combating impunity and holding those responsible for violation accountable.   This includes preventing forced displacement, siege-like situations, attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, conflict related sexual violence, child recruitment and the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. They should ensure communities retain access to essential services, resources, and assistance.   Sustaining protection requires long-term support to community-based structures, women-led and survivor-led organisations, organisations of persons with disabilities, and other frontline actors. Donors should provide flexible, multi-year funding that enables these organisations to operate safely, maintain services, and participate in coordination and decision-making.   Protection outcomes cannot be achieved through humanitarian action alone. Member States should advocate for embedding protection-risk reduction and measurable outcomes as accountability benchmarks across financing, reporting, and oversight mechanisms, and ensuring protection risk analysis and conflict prevention systematically informs diplomatic, peacebuilding, and development decision-making.   Member State representatives should work closely with protection actors to ensure that protection considerations shape humanitarian policies, high-level negotiations, and operational planning. Protection risks reduction must remain a core objective across inter-agency coordination mechanisms, leadership and pooled funding decisions, and transition processes.   http://globalprotectioncluster.org/index.php/publications/2393/communication-materials/advocacy-note/high-level-humanitarian-donors-briefing Visit the related web page
	Humanitarian Outlook 2026: A world succumbing to war by International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)   11 Dec. 2025   Armed conflict is now a defining feature of our time. Across continents, the rules and limits that should protect civilians in war are being stretched, ignored or dismantled.   Conflicts are spreading, lasting longer, and becoming more complex. Civilians – the very people international humanitarian law exists to protect – are those who suffer the most.   Even for those who experience war only through the headlines, today’s conflicts are shaping a future that will affect every one of us. The erosion of the rules of war is not confined to distant battlefields; it threatens the stability, security and values that underpin our societies and our lives, no matter where in the world we live.   The Humanitarian Outlook 2026 is the ICRC’s publication accompanying our 2026 global appeals. It provides a forward-looking analysis of emerging humanitarian risks, based on real-world observations from our organization’s operations worldwide.   The Outlook is designed to inform governments, donors and decision-makers about the evolving nature of armed conflict, the humanitarian consequences for civilians, and the priorities required to respond effectively and prevent further suffering.   In Humanitarian Outlook 2026, we draw on our work in more than 100 armed conflicts to warn of four converging trends pushing the world toward deeper instability and human suffering.   The Outlook highlights a stark paradox: as needs rise rapidly, the resources available for principled humanitarian action are under growing strain.The number of armed conflicts continues to climb, reaching around 130 in 2024 - more than double the number just 15 years ago. Over 20 conflicts have lasted for more than two decades, leaving entire generations who have known nothing but war.   Front lines today stretch across physical and digital worlds. The use of drones, artificial intelligence and cyber operations is accelerating and transforming the conduct of hostilities, too often with devastating effects on civilians.   More than 204 million people now live in areas under the full or contested control of armed groups – beyond the reach of state institutions and basic services.   The consequences are severe:   Homes, hospitals, schools and water systems are destroyed. Livelihoods collapse, displacing millions. Families are torn apart: 284,000 people are registered as missing by the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement – a 70% increase in just one year.   Trend 1: Dehumanization spreading on all fronts   Across many conflicts, the shared sense of humanity that restrains violence is eroding. Dehumanizing language - often echoed by political leaders or amplified through social media - fuels fear, polarizes communities, and justifies violations.   This shift has real consequences. When people are stripped of their dignity through words or policy, the threshold for violence rises. Civilians are misidentified as threats; detainees are denied legal protections; humanitarian workers face suspicion or hostility.   Trend 2: Principled humanitarian action under threat   Humanitarian and medical workers are increasingly targeted, despite protections under international law.   In 2024 alone: 338 attacks against humanitarian workers were recorded. Over 600 attacks struck health facilities and personnel between 2023 and 2024. 25 Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers and staff lost their lives in 2025.   Neutral, impartial humanitarian action is being politicized, manipulated or obstructed. Access to people in need remains critically restricted in places such as Gaza and Al-Fashir, leaving civilians without essential assistance.   Trend 3: Victory at any cost, and global responsibility in retreat   Respect for international humanitarian law (IHL) is weakening. In many conflicts, military objectives take precedence over the obligation to protect civilian lives.   Hard power is resurging, and multilateral cooperation is at risk. Global defence spending reached 2.7 trillion USD in 2024, while the entire humanitarian system appealed for just 50 billion USD – an amount that still went unmet. This imbalance signals a world preparing for war, not peace.   Trend 4: Humanitarian needs rising, resources strained   At a time when needs are escalating, funding for neutral, impartial humanitarian action is increasingly uncertain. Without sustained support, millions of people risk losing access to essential services, protection, and life-saving assistance.   This widening gap is fundamentally at odds with the scale of human suffering seen across today’s conflicts.   Five calls to action in defense of humanity   States have a decisive role to play in preventing the world from sliding further into unrestrained warfare. The ICRC urges governments to act now:   1. Sustain principled humanitarian action   Provide predictable support for neutral, impartial and independent humanitarian assistance so aid can keep pace with rising needs.   2. Uphold international humanitarian law – and urge allies to do the same   Respect for IHL must remain universal. States must prevent violations, both in their own conduct and among those they support.   3. Counter dehumanization   Reject harmful narratives, misinformation and rhetoric that deepen suffering and normalize brutality.   4. Protect humanitarian workers and medical personnel   Attacks on aid workers are attacks on humanity. States must ensure they can work safely and reach people in need.   5. Work for peace and restore global solidarity   Humanitarian action can alleviate suffering, but only political solutions can end it. States must invest in diplomacy, conflict prevention and humanitarian restraint.   The choice before us   As wars multiply and the cost of destruction exceeds what any society can rebuild, the world cannot afford indifference. Upholding the rules of war is not only a legal obligation - it is a safeguard for our shared humanity.   Together, we can choose restraint over escalation, dignity over dehumanization, and humanity over unbounded violence.   http://www.icrc.org/en/article/humanitarian-outlook-2026 Visit the related web page
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