Today, there are more children in need of humanitarian assistance than at any other time since the Second World War. Across the globe, children and their families are facing a deadly mix of crises, from conflict and displacement to disease outbreaks and soaring rates of malnutrition. But with UNICEF on the ground, it’s far from hopeless. They know how to reach these children at greatest risk and in greatest need by distributing winter clothing, providing safe spaces for displaced families and delivering treatments like Ready-To-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF).

As the war in Ukraine and dozens of other humanitarian crises demand our urgent attention, OCHA highlights 11 crises on their radar. Most of them are driven by conflict and climate shocks, compounded by pre-existing vulnerability and inadequate access to services. In 2022, aid levels have been sufficient to prevent catastrophe but not to move people out of crisis. This year sets a new record, with UN agencies and humanitarian partners requiring US$51.5 billion to help 230 million people who need emergency assistance in 68 countries.

As we entered 2022, we did not anticipate that we would be responding to a full-blown war in Europe. UN Humanitarian and our partners already had much to contend with, as the world continued to grapple with the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the threat of famine in the Horn of Africa had been on our radar, we did not foresee the historic floods in Nigeria and Pakistan. However, the humanitarian community persisted and delivered in critical ways to ease suffering across the world. Here is UN Humanitarian’s 2022 in review.

Following a decline in the global Human Development Index for two years in a row, human development has fallen back to 2016 levels, reversing much of the world’s progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. International Human Solidarity Day provides an opportunity for us to come together in solidarity for our global future. It is an occasion to celebrate our unity in diversity and to encourage new initiatives to lift people out of poverty, hunger and disease. Human solidarity is at the core of the work of the United Nations. You can help us to help more.

As winter approaches, millions of Ukrainians remain displaced from their homes. Now, as the biting winds and sub-zero temperatures of winter take hold, Ukraine’s children confront new threats to their well-being. They are in desperate need of protection and shelter. UNICEF is working with partners providing much-needed winter items, such as clothing, boots and blankets. UNICEF is also extending child-care services and life-saving cash transfers to particularly vulnerable families, while supporting schools and hospitals with generators and heating.

When the war broke out in Ukraine, it seemed that Kyiv's Circus Academy was in danger. Renowned Hungarian circus manager, artist, and juggler, Kristian Kristof, immediately stepped in to get the students out of danger and help them continue their training. IOM actively supports the Capital Circus of Budapest in its pursuit to assist those who have fled Ukraine. The Organization covers the group’s accommodation needs, support for elementary and high school education, outdoor and indoor training activities, and offers ad-hoc support for medical assistance and food vouchers.

The 2023 Global Humanitarian Overview details how next year will set another record for humanitarian relief requirements, with 339 million people in need of assistance in 69 countries.

“I got such a feeling of outrage, healthy outrage, proactive outrage, which I still feel now.”

Staffan de Mistura has dedicated his life to making a difference. Now the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, he spent a large part of his 48-year career at the UN striving for an end to some of the most intractable conflicts of modern times.  

“I have no regrets. I would have never chosen another type of job. I think you can [make a difference] even in the worst-case scenario - always.”

From Syria and Afghanistan to Sudan and Iraq, the seasoned diplomat is known for bringing creative thinking to the negotiating table even when others have lost hope. In this episode of Awake at Night with Melissa Fleming, Staffan de Mistura reflects on harnessing constructive outrage as a driving force, on his determination in the face of despair, and why at 75, he isn’t ready to retire just yet.

UNHCR and WFP set up an independent service - UN FLEET - to help their sister UN organizations lease the vehicles they need for operations around the world.

Haiti is on the shortlist of acutely hungry countries. WFP needs more support from UN member states to further facilitate humanitarian access and protect humanitarians and assets.

More than a year after foreign forces withdrew and the Taliban took power across the whole of Afghanistan, the country’s economy has withered and development aid and assets are still largely frozen. Millions of families have almost no way to cope with another harsh winter. Indeed, WFP is one of the last remaining barriers between Afghanistan and famine.  But the strength of our hunger barrier will depend on donor generosity. WFP urgently needs US$1.1 billion to continue delivering food and nutritional assistance for the next six months to 18 million acutely food-insecure Afghans.

Nataliia was four months pregnant when the war started in February 2022. Due to the stress of the conflict she gave birth three months early. From forced displacement, severe shortages of reproductive health care and the high risk of sexual violence, the war in Ukraine is having a disproportionate impact on women and girls. For thousands of pregnant women without access to essential services, childbirth is now fraught with added danger: Many hospitals are citing higher numbers of premature babies, health facilities are destroyed and damaged, and staff and supplies are running increasingly low.

Charity can alleviate the worst effects of humanitarian crises, supplement public services in health care, education, housing and child protection. The International Day of Charity was established to promote volunteer and philanthropic activities. The Day is observed every year on 5 September to commemorate the anniversary of the passing away of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 "for work undertaken in the struggle to overcome poverty and distress, which also constitute a threat to peace."

Molok is a 30-year-old midwife in Yemen. Since losing her husband to the country’s grinding war, she raises her two sons alone and supports the family by working at a UNFPA mobile clinic.

The principle is simple: give what you can – whether it’s one meal or one year of meals – and know that it makes a difference. In US dollars, a meal supplied by the WFP costs around 80 cents – less than the price of a cup of coffee. By July, the official donation app of WFP reached a milestone: 150 million meals served – welcome news as WFP responds to the record hunger of 2022. This year WFP aims to reach 152 million people and is calling for US$22.2 billion to do so – with as many as 828 million people around the world who go to bed hungry every night, every penny counts.