New £61m package will support vulnerable communities around the world.
- Minister for Development announces urgent humanitarian aid for the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
- £61 million funding package will support the government's Plan for Change by tackling migration flows upstream and addressing the climate emergency and global poverty.
- Announcement demonstrates UK's commitment on the world stage to support global stability.
The UK has pledged funding to help relief programmes scale up and extend lifesaving support to thousands of vulnerable people who are being affected by the world's most severe humanitarian crises.
These programmes will focus on responding to escalating crises in the Middle East, supporting internally displaced people in the DRC and supporting those affected by Tropical Cyclone Chido, which in turn will help to tackle migration flows upstream and bolster the UK's border security.
According to the latest UN report, 305.1 million people are expected to require immediate humanitarian assistance in 2025.
Today's announcement builds on the Prime Minister's pledge at the European Political Community Summit in July to reduce migration into the UK by improving the lives of vulnerable individuals around the globe who may otherwise be forced to flee their homes, by supporting them to access education and employment opportunities. This is part of the delivery of the government's Plan for Change, which will put more money in people's pockets, get the NHS back on its feet and secure our borders.
Minister for Development Anneliese Dodds said:
We are seeing desperate humanitarian need right across the world. Climate change, conflict and extreme poverty are compounding the suffering of the most vulnerable.
The UK is working with our partners to scale up the delivery of humanitarian relief. By taking the lead in tackling the world's most pressing humanitarian challenges we are countering threats to global stability, tackling migration upstream and delivering our Plan for Change to support hardworking British people.
The UK is directing £22 million towards responding to escalating crises in the Middle East and £34 million will go towards alleviating high levels of humanitarian need in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, the DRC, Somalia, Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Since August, and despite the ceasefire in DRC, a further 300,000 people have been internally displaced by continued armed group activity. Up to £5 million will bolster our partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP) and enable 48,000 more people to meet their immediate needs.
Vital assistance will be delivered to those in need in Asia with around one million people benefiting from lifesaving treatments in Myanmar for conditions such as malaria, as well as improved access to sexual and reproductive health services.
Additionally, up to £5 million will be used to respond to devastation wreaked by Tropical Cyclone Chido. It is estimated that 1.5 million people have been affected by the recent storms, with crops, infrastructure, health facilities and more having been damaged. The UK will provide £5 million to reach around 350,000 of those affected in Mozambique, focusing on meeting immediate emergency shelter, clean water and sanitation needs.
Earlier this month the Prime Minister announced £13m for UNRWA, the only organisation in Gaza that can deliver humanitarian aid at the scale and pace needed. The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary also announced over £60m to deliver food, shelter, emergency healthcare and protection to the most vulnerable Syrians.
Notes
Today's funding commitment includes:
- £22 million towards responding to escalating crises in the Middle East.
- Up to £8 million for the Central Sahel (Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger) to support ICRC including to provide protection services and food assistance.
- Up to £5 million for Bangladesh to support shelter, healthcare, clean water, and basic infrastructure in the Rohingya refugee camps and local Bangladeshi communities which host them. This will be implemented by UNHCR, IOM and UNICEF.
- Up to £5 million for the DRC to supplement our ongoing programme with WFP which provides grants to vulnerable people.
- Up to £5 million for ICRC's work in Somalia including with the Somali Red Crescent Society providing emergency food, support and water to people affected by armed conflict, as well as first-aid, basic healthcare and nutrition.
- Up to £11 million for Myanmar to bolster humanitarian, resilience and health programmes, including lifesaving maternal and sexual health interventions.
Up to £5 million for Mozambique to respond to Tropical Cyclone Chido and ensure that the country is better prepared for the rest of cyclone season, through IOM and UN OCHA.
- The Prime Minister announced £13 million for UNRWA's programme budget to provide essential services to Palestinian refugees in the OPTs, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria on 11 December.
- In December the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary announced over £60m to support Syrians across the region, including funding for the UN OCHA-managed Syrian Humanitarian Fund and Syria Cross-Border Humanitarian Fund, as well as the Aid Fund for Northern Syria, established by the UK.
- Since 2012, the UK has provided over £4.3 billion in aid to assist Syrians across the region (Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, and Egypt).
- The UN OCHA published the Global Humanitarian Overview 2025 report on 4 December.
