NRC warns of alarming global shortfall in humanitarian funding in 2026

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has warned that humanitarian funding for some of the world’s most neglected displacement crises has fallen to critically low levels in 2026, leaving millions of vulnerable people increasingly abandoned.

The organization says that halfway through 2026, only 30 percent of the funding required to support 143 million people out of 252 million in need globally has been received.

NRC Secretary General Jan Egeland described 2026 as a “make-or-break year” for millions affected by conflict in countries including Venezuela and Sudan, warning that continued funding cuts could lead to “a massive loss of lives.”

He said global assistance is declining at a time when violence, displacement, and inflation continue to rise, and stressed that humanitarian funding must be allocated based on need rather than geopolitical or national interests.

The report highlights that Afghanistan is among the worst affected and has been included for the first time on NRC’s list of the world’s most neglected crises, with humanitarian response plans currently only 11 percent funded.

NRC said the decline in funding comes as 21.9 million people in Afghanistan require assistance, while millions more are returning from neighboring countries.

Egeland warned that without a dramatic increase in support, millions of families in Afghanistan and other crisis-hit regions risk facing deeper hunger, displacement, and loss of basic services, urging donors to act before it is too late.