Secretary-General: Humanitarian System Running on Empty, Urging Donors Reach $1 Billion Target

Welcome to this high-level pledging event for the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund -- our global emergency lifeline.

We meet in very difficult times.  Humanitarian needs are rising.  Crises are multiplying.  And the humanitarian system’s tank is running on empty -- with millions of lives hanging in the balance.  Yesterday, the Global Humanitarian Overview for 2026 estimated that we will need $23 billion to reach 87 million people in most desperate need.

Within that wider effort, the Central Emergency Response Fund is our flexible, first-responder fund.  Since 2006, it has provided nearly $10 billion in life-saving assistance in more than 100 countries -- working with over 20 UN agencies and hundreds of partners and reaching tens of millions of people every year.

The Central Emergency Response Fund works because it is fast, flexible and fair, often arriving before other sources of support. When full-scale war erupted in Ukraine, the Central Emergency Response Fund acted within hours.  In Bangladesh, the Central Emergency Response Fund released funds just 16 minutes after early flood warnings -- enabling aid workers to deliver cash, water and food before roads were cut off.

This year alone, the Central Emergency Response Fund has allocated some $110 million to neglected and underfunded emergencies -- from Afghanistan to Somalia and beyond.  It stepped in as soon as humanitarian access opened in Gaza to help ensure essential fuel supplies to keep hospitals, water systems, and other critical services running. And in Sudan, it helped scale up support for 2.5 million people needing food, water and health support as violence intensified in El Fasher and across Darfur.

In many places, the Central Emergency Response Fund has made the difference between life-saving help and no help at all.  Through the Central Emergency Response Fund Climate Action Account, humanitarian projects are helping communities brace for floods, droughts and storms before disaster strikes.  And as Hurricane Melissa approached the Caribbean, the Central Emergency Response Fund helped countries act early -- providing funds, evacuation support and essential supplies that gave families invaluable time before landfall.

The Central Emergency Response Fund continues to evolve -- advancing innovative approaches, relying more on local partners, putting more cash in the hands of the most vulnerable, and tailoring support to women and girls.  It remains one of our most efficient instruments, with strong oversight and a proven record of getting funds where they are most needed, when they are most needed.

Today, the humanitarian system faces its greatest test. Across the system, we are stretching every dollar as far as it can go.  Together with you -- Member States, non-governmental organizations and UN agencies -- we are working to make the Central Emergency Response Fund even more efficient, proactive and accountable.

The New Humanitarian Compact, a key element of the UN80 initiative, points in the same direction -- making humanitarian action faster and more reliable by cutting coordination bureaucracy, joining up supply chains and common services, and using shared data to act as one.

But even the most efficient engine cannot run without fuel. In 2025, donor contributions fell sharply -- like never before.  This year’s projected contributions are expected to be the lowest since 2015 -- a dangerous trend that weakens our ability to respond.  As a result, countless more people have died, others have gone hungry, or been left without health services, shelter and protection.

This is a moment when we are asked to do more and more, with less and less.  This is simply unsustainable.

Today, I urge you:  help us reach the $1 billion target for the Central Emergency Response Fund endorsed by the General Assembly -- and keep humanitarian funding predictable for the years ahead.

In creating the Central Emergency Response Fund 20 years ago, the international community made a simple promise: when disaster strikes, help will come.  The Central Emergency Response Fund has worked to keep that promise -- from conflicts and climate shocks to earthquakes and epidemics -- helping to save lives, feed families, keep hospitals running.

Today, I ask you to renew that promise:  Contribute to the Central Emergency Response Fund.  Keep hope alive for millions of people who depend on us.

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