London: Tens of millions of people missed out on humanitarian assistance last year as funding cuts, political restrictions and growing crises placed unprecedented pressure on the global aid system, according to a new report.
An estimated 64 million fewer people received humanitarian aid in 2025 compared with the previous year, as contributions to the international aid system fell sharply. The State of the Humanitarian System 2026 report said funding dropped by about 30 percent between 2022 and 2025, marking one of the biggest contractions in the system since its creation after the Second World War.
Humanitarian funding fell to an estimated $33.3 billion in 2025, from a peak of $47.5 billion in 2022. Thousands of humanitarian workers also lost their jobs, with up to 23 percent of staffing estimated to have been cut during the year.
Jennifer Doherty, co-author of the report produced by the Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance, said that the impact of the cuts was not evenly distributed. Women, children, older people and displaced communities were among those most severely affected, as specialised services closed and targeted assistance became increasingly difficult to maintain.
The reduction in funding also meant that aid reached fewer people and provided less support to those who received it. The average targeted amount per person fell from $178 in 2021 to $90 in 2025, even though estimated needs had increased to around $255 per person.
The United States Agency for International Development experienced one of the most significant funding reductions, with contributions falling by 55 percent in 2025. Other major donors also reduced their contributions, with 13 of the 20 largest donors cutting aid during the year.
The report said political restrictions were also affecting how humanitarian assistance could be delivered. Governments increasingly imposed conditions on aid spending, including restrictions on programmes associated with diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
At the same time, governments and armed forces were increasingly linked to threats against civilians and humanitarian workers. States were responsible for 64 percent of attacks on healthcare workers, while airstrikes contributed significantly to violence affecting aid personnel, according to the report.
The situation has been particularly severe in countries such as Yemen, where declining aid has worsened already serious humanitarian conditions. Reduced assistance has contributed to deteriorating nutrition and rising cases of diseases such as diphtheria after vaccination campaigns were suspended.
Mohammed Bahashwan, Action for Humanity’s country director in Yemen, said families were facing several interconnected problems at once, including loss of income, food insecurity, child malnutrition and difficulty accessing healthcare.
The report highlighted efforts by local humanitarian organisations and diaspora networks to fill some of the gaps created by the shrinking international system. However, international aid organisations have often failed to coordinate effectively with these networks, while local organisations and workers have also suffered heavily from funding cuts.
The report called for greater focus on localisation and stronger cooperation with local organisations that are often closest to communities affected by crises. It warned that the international humanitarian system had not adapted quickly enough to the scale of funding reductions and political restrictions.
The shrinking aid system comes as humanitarian needs continue to rise because of conflicts, displacement, food insecurity, climate-related disasters and economic instability. With fewer resources available, aid agencies are increasingly being forced to prioritise people facing immediate threats to their lives while reducing longer-term recovery and development support.
The report’s findings highlight a growing gap between the scale of global humanitarian needs and the resources available to respond, raising concerns about how vulnerable communities will cope as international assistance continues to contract.
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