Crises and emergencies

Conflict and forced displacement are the root causes of most of these crises, with an estimated 274 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in 2023. In five countries, more than half of the population is in need of humanitarian aid. The number of displaced persons worldwide increased for the eighth consecutive year in 2020 (a total of 82.4 million), the majority of whom are internally displaced persons (48 million internally displaced persons in 2020).


The combination of conflict, acute food insecurity and the consequences of climate change is complicating crises, while health threats and epidemics are hitting countries in crisis hardest: Cholera, although easily treated and prevented, kills nearly 100,000 people each year, and there are still more than 400,000 malaria-related deaths each year (90% in sub-Saharan Africa, claiming more victims than the conflict in the Central African Republic).


Already under strain, the humanitarian system must adapt to meet the needs of those affected by the pandemic and the consequences of virus containment policies.

Crises exacerbate inequalities and vulnerabilities for women and girls, but the lack of gender-disaggregated data masks the extent of this.