Focus on the Frontlines: How the grand bargain can deliver on its promise to improve humanitarian aid

The combination of COVID-19, climate, and conflict has only amplified humanitarian needs, outstripping humanitarian financing. Over 235 million people around the world require humanitarian assistance – 40% more than in 2020, and 88% more than in 2016. However, humanitarian assistance has only increased by about 8% since 2016, from $22.9 billion in 2016 to $24.8 billion in 2020. And despite the fact that in 2020, 22 of 25 Humanitarian Response Plans were for crises that had endured for five years or longer, the average length of our UN humanitarian grants is still one year, hindering efforts to support sustainable solutions for long-term displacement. In the status quo, the pace of humanitarian aid cannot meet growing humanitarian needs, particularly in increasingly protracted crisis and displacement contexts; as such, addressing the efficiency and effectiveness of aid remains paramount.