News 05 August 2026 IOM Assists 17.8 Million People Worldwide Despite Growing Humanitarian Funding Gap

Geneva, 05 August 2026 - More than 300 million people needed humanitarian assistance in 2025 as conflicts, disasters and displacement pushed global needs to record levels, while funding for aid fell sharply.

Despite mounting pressure across the humanitarian sector, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reached 17.8 million people in 170 countries and territories through USD 1.7 billion in humanitarian and recovery programmes, according to figures released today.

From the Sudan and Gaza to Haiti, Myanmar and the Sahel, crises intensified throughout the year, forcing aid agencies to make increasingly difficult decisions about where limited resources could be deployed.

"2025 was a year of extraordinary pressure for the humanitarian system," said IOM Deputy Director General for Operations Ugochi Daniels. "Conflicts, disasters, disease outbreaks and displacement drove needs to unprecedented levels, even as resources contracted dramatically. Despite these challenges, IOM remained present where people needed us most."

According to IOM's 2025 Operating in Crisis Report, the Organization provided shelter assistance to 7.3 million people, supported 5.1 million people with water, sanitation and hygiene services, delivered 4.2 million primary health consultations, and provided protection assistance to 1.5 million people. It also helped more than 760,000 people move to safety through evacuations, relocations and other forms of movement assistance.

Beyond direct assistance, IOM continued to play a key role in helping the wider humanitarian community respond to crises. Its Displacement Tracking Matrix, the world's largest source of operational displacement data, informed 21 of 23 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plans globally in 2025, helping governments and aid organizations target assistance where it was needed most.

The report also highlights IOM's growing work along major migration routes, tracking risks and needs across borders to help governments and partners better understand how people move during crises and where support is most urgently required.

As humanitarian needs continue to outpace available funding, the report underscores the importance of making humanitarian action more efficient, coordinated and evidence-based to ensure limited resources reach those most in need.

The 2025 Operating in Crisis Report is available here.

For more information, visit the IOM Media Centre.