The European Commission announced an initial humanitarian pledge of over €2.3 billion for 2025 to address urgent global crises at the European Humanitarian Forum concluded in Brussels. These include the humanitarian impact of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the humanitarian situation across the Middle East, particularly Gaza, and the escalating crisis in Sudan.
The Forum took place against the backdrop of record humanitarian needs, driven by ongoing armed conflicts, climate-related disasters, and food insecurity. Over 305 million people around the world currently require urgent humanitarian assistance.
In this challenging context, the EU and its Member States at the Forum pledged to boost humanitarian diplomacy, strengthen respect for International Humanitarian Law, and foster an integrated response to fragility.
The EU is the world’s leading humanitarian donor and a key advocate for principled humanitarian action.
Key commitments
The Forum reaffirmed the EU’s unwavering commitment to supporting Ukraine for as long as needed and underscored the urgent need for sustained international humanitarian engagement.
Regarding Gaza, participants stressed the critical importance of unimpeded humanitarian access. Indications of a limited restart of aid by Israel were acknowledged, but what is needed is large-scale, sustained distribution of life-saving assistance, including the immediate restoration of essential services such as electricity for water desalination.
The crisis in Sudan— the world’s largest displacement emergency—was also highlighted, with participants calling for more effective, coordinated responses to meet growing needs and address the regional spillover effects of the ongoing conflict.
