New initiative will transform mental health support in humanitarian crises

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Mental health support is often overlooked in humanitarian emergencies. But millions of people living through conflict, displacement and disaster are in urgent need of effective mental health interventions to support both recovery and resilience.

The Greentree Acceleration Plan is a new United Nations initiative to scale up mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian settings worldwide. Wellcome has committed US$13.2 million in funding to support its launch.

A global challenge, a local response

Today, more than 300 million people need humanitarian assistance. Of those, an estimated 66 million are living with mental health conditions - many without access to adequate care.

The Greentree Acceleration Plan aims to change that. It will begin with programmes in Chad and Lebanon, two countries facing acute humanitarian needs.

In Chad, nearly 40 percent of the population (approximately seven million people) requires humanitarian assistance. In Lebanon, more than one million people are in need due to ongoing instability and conflict.

The programmes in Chad and Lebanon will focus on developing, evaluating and delivering scalable psychological interventions, integrating mental health into broader humanitarian services like education and protection, and strengthening national systems through policy reform and workforce training.

Crucially, the initiative will also fund research into how best to support frontline humanitarian workers, who often face high levels of stress and trauma themselves.

Evidence-based solutions, rooted in communities

Wellcome's funding will support research and development of innovative, evidence-based and context-sensitive approaches to mental health care. That means working with local organisations, researchers and humanitarian agencies to ensure solutions are grounded in the realities of each community.

"Mental health services are a critical but often overlooked need in humanitarian settings," says UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed. "While many effective programmes exist, we need to scale them up urgently - especially for children, women and marginalised groups."

The initiative builds on decades of global work, including the guidelines and tools developed by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee. It also reflects the outcomes of a high-level convening held in November 2024, co-hosted by Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Julia Gillard, Chair of Wellcome, and the UN Office for Partnerships, in collaboration with WHO, UNICEF and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Research that drives global impact

Wellcome's investment will fund research to understand what works - and how to scale it. This evidence will help inform future responses in other humanitarian settings, ensuring that mental health support becomes a core part of global emergency frameworks.

"We have an opportunity to undertake rigorous research into how best to implement and scale solutions that are firmly grounded in communities and supported by strong evidence," says Julia Gillard.

By backing the Greentree Acceleration Plan, Wellcome is helping to remove systemic barriers, foster innovation and advocate for mental health to be prioritised in crisis response.

"Many people living in conflict-affected settings such as Chad and Lebanon have little or no access to mental health treatments. We believe this plan, led by local partners, could transform mental health support for millions of people in humanitarian settings," says Miranda Wolpert, Director of Mental Health at Wellcome.

A world where no one is held back by mental health problems

Mental health is essential to human health. And in times of crisis, it's a foundation for recovery.

"People who have suffered losses, attacks, family separations and gender-based violence carry wounds that can fuel cycles of violence. Supporting their mental health is essential to building lasting peace," says UN Secretary-General, António Guterres.

At Wellcome, we believe everyone should benefit from science's potential to improve health and save lives - especially in the most challenging circumstances.

This is a bold step towards that future.