World Health Organization launches an appeal for assistance to confront a health emergency affecting a quarter of a billion people

The World Health Organization announced on Tuesday that it needs $1 billion to deal with health crises in 36 regions of the world suffering from acute health emergencies, including Gaza, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Haiti.

The United Nations health agency estimated that 239 million people will need urgent health assistance this year, and the funding will contribute to maintaining basic health services.

“A quarter of a billion people are experiencing humanitarian crises that deprive them of basic protective factors: safety, shelter and access to health care,” Chikwe Ekweazu, Executive Director of the WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, told reporters in Geneva.

He warned that under conditions of this type, “health needs increase, whether as a result of injuries, epidemic outbreaks, malnutrition, or untreated chronic diseases… while access to care decreases.”

This amount the agency is requesting for emergencies is much lower than in recent years, given the significant shortfall in funding for aid operations.

Washington, which is traditionally the largest donor to the World Health Organization, reduced spending on foreign aid under President Donald Trump, who informed the organization on his first day in office in January 2025 of his country’s intention to withdraw within a year.

Last year, the World Health Organization announced its need for $1.5 billion, but Ikweazu pointed out that only $900 million was ultimately secured.

He said that unfortunately the agency “realizes… that the desire to mobilize resources has become much less than it was in previous years.”

He added: “This is one of the reasons that prompted us to adjust our request slightly to be closer to what is realistically available, while being aware of the situation in the world and the restrictions that many countries face.”

In 2026, the World Health Organization stated that it “gives high priority to the highest-impact services and reduces the lowest-impact activities to maximize the number of lives saved.”

The reduction in global funding last year led to the closure or reduction of services of 6,700 health facilities in 22 humanitarian arenas, which “deprived 53 million people of access to health care,” according to Ikweazu.

He added, “Families living on the margins face impossible decisions, such as choosing between buying food or medicine,” stressing that “people should never be forced to make decisions of this kind.”

He continued: “For this reason, today we appeal to the conscience of countries and peoples, and call on them to invest in a healthier and safer world.”