The global humanitarian aid system is facing a severe crisis as funding declines sharply and political pressures increase, according to a report released on Monday. The State of the Humanitarian System 2026 report highlights a 30% reduction in aid contributions between 2022 and 2025, resulting in a significant contraction of humanitarian efforts and a decrease of 64 million people receiving aid last year.
The report, produced by the Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance (Alnap), indicates that the total funding for humanitarian aid dropped from a peak of $47.5 billion in 2022 to an estimated $33.3 billion in 2025. This decline corresponds with thousands of aid workers losing their jobs during the same period—an estimated 23% reduction in staffing in 2025 alone.
Jennifer Doherty, co-author of the report, noted that this shrinking capacity has disproportionately affected vulnerable groups such as women, children, the elderly, and displaced populations. She emphasized that aid efforts have increasingly focused solely on those in immediate danger, while support for longer-term recovery and developmental challenges has been scaled back or suspended. As a result, specialised services have been curtailed, and targeted support has become more difficult to sustain.
Among major donors, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) recorded the deepest cuts, with its funding reduced by 55% in 2025. Additionally, 13 of the top 20 donors decreased their aid contributions. The report also draws attention to political interference in aid allocation, including restrictions on programs perceived to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), which have affected certain US-funded initiatives.
Despite rising needs—the estimated funding required per person in crisis increased to $255 in 2025—the average support per beneficiary dropped from $178 in 2021 to $90. This shortfall exacerbates existing humanitarian challenges in several crisis-affected countries.
The report underscores that governments have failed not only to protect civilians but, in many cases, have directly endangered them. States were responsible for 64% of attacks on healthcare workers globally, and airstrikes have caused harm to aid personnel in conflict zones.
Yemen is highlighted as a particularly affected country, where aid cuts have led to worsened nutrition outcomes and increased cases of diphtheria following the suspension of vaccination campaigns. Mohammed Bahashwan, country director for Action for Humanity in Yemen, described how families face intertwined difficulties such as loss of income, food insecurity, child malnutrition, and limited access to healthcare due to logistical and financial barriers.
While the report acknowledges instances where local organizations and diaspora networks have mobilized to fill gaps, it notes that the international humanitarian system has struggled to coordinate effectively with these actors. Local organizations and staff have often borne the brunt of funding reductions.
Meg Sattler, chief executive of Ground Truth Solutions, a Vienna-based group that surveys aid recipients, called for increased localization of humanitarian responses. She argued the international system has been slow to adapt and insufficiently resistant to funding cuts and political conditions imposed by major donors such as the United States.