The United Nations warned that hundreds of millions of people will be left in need as a result of the climate crisis and escalating conflicts, and on Wednesday it called for more than $47 billion to provide essential relief next year.
Tom Fletcher, the new UN humanitarian chief, told reporters in Geneva that “the world is on fire” and that he was looking forward to 2025 with “dread.”
According to the UN, 305 million people worldwide may require humanitarian aid in some capacity next year as a result of violent conflicts that are escalating in regions like the Middle East, Sudan, and Ukraine, as well as the mounting effects of climate change and extreme weather.
“We are dealing with a poly-crisis right now globally, and it is the most vulnerable people in the world who are paying the price,” Fletcher said.
