Sudan’s worsening humanitarian crisis highlights a stark global paradox: needs are soaring, while funding for aid operations is shrinking.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said it will seek significantly less donor funding next year, despite unprecedented demand worldwide.
The federation has appealed for 3.4 billion Swiss francs, down from 3.8 billion last year.
Conflicts such as Sudan’s war, alongside climate shocks and natural disasters, are driving record humanitarian needs across multiple regions.
Yet aid agencies and United Nations bodies are being forced to scale back operations after major funding cuts by the United States and European donors.
“Humanitarian needs are rising, challenges are growing and funding is shrinking,” IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain said.
The IFRC said most of its spending will focus on locally led responses, bringing expertise closer to communities facing daily emergencies.
It described itself as the world’s largest humanitarian network, spanning 191 national societies and nearly 17 million volunteers.
Funding shortages have already had consequences. The organisation recently ended support for the Ocean Viking migrant rescue ship in the Mediterranean.
Protecting humanitarian workers will be a priority next year as security risks increasingly threaten aid delivery.
The IFRC said 57 Red Cross and Red Crescent staff and volunteers were killed over the past two years.
Other aid groups have warned that continued funding constraints will severely strain responses in crises including Sudan and Gaza.
