WHO Launches $1 Billion Appeal for Global Health Emergencies in 2026
The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a nearly $1 billion appeal today to address escalating health crises in 36 countries, including 14 facing the highest level of emergency response needs. The 2026 appeal follows a year in which global humanitarian funding fell to levels not seen since 2016, severely limiting the organization’s reach.
In 2025, WHO and its partners provided life-saving vaccinations to 5.3 million children and facilitated 53 million health consultations through its emergency appeal, reaching approximately 30 million people. Support extended to over 8,000 health facilities and involved the deployment of 1,370 mobile clinics. But, diminished funding restricted assistance to just one-third of the 81 million individuals originally targeted for humanitarian health support.
“This appeal is a call to stand with people living through conflict, displacement and disaster – to deliver them not just services, but the confidence that the world has not turned its back on them,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “It is not charity. It is a strategic investment in health and security. In fact, access to health care restores dignity, stabilizes communities and offers a pathway toward recovery.”
The WHO’s 2026 priorities include Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Myanmar, the occupied Palestinian territory, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic, Ukraine, and Yemen. The appeal will also address ongoing outbreaks of cholera and mpox, reflecting the increasing convergence of protracted conflicts, climate change impacts, and infectious disease outbreaks.
The organization coordinates with more than 1,500 partners across 24 crisis settings globally, emphasizing the central role of national authorities and local partners in emergency response efforts. WHO’s response actions encompass maintaining essential health facility operations, delivering medical supplies and trauma care, preventing and responding to outbreaks, restoring routine immunization programs, and ensuring access to sexual and reproductive, maternal, and child health services in fragile and conflict-affected regions.
Speaking at the launch event, Ambassador Noel White, Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations Office in Geneva, underscored the interconnectedness of humanitarian crises and health, stating, “Every humanitarian crisis is a health crisis.” Ireland provides unearmarked, flexible, and predictable funding to WHO’s Contingency Fund for Emergencies.
Ms. Marita Sørheim-Rensvik, Deputy Permanent Representative of Norway to the United Nations Office at Geneva, highlighted WHO’s indispensable role in complex emergencies, emphasizing its commitment to protecting health, upholding international humanitarian law, and delivering life-saving care in challenging environments. “Norway calls on all Member States to strengthen support for WHO so it can continue delivering for those who need it most,” she said.
The WHO stresses that early and predictable investment is crucial for effective emergency response, reducing mortality and disease, containing outbreaks, and preventing health risks from escalating into broader crises. While difficult prioritization choices have been necessary due to funding constraints, the organization aims to sustain life-saving care and build pathways toward recovery in the world’s most severe emergencies.
The launch of the GLEWS+ platform and website, announced by the WHO today, aims to bolster global One Health intelligence, providing a new tool for monitoring and responding to health threats.