8 humanitarian crises in 2024

2024 has brought humanitarian challenges on an unprecedented scale, and they demand immediate, coordinated action. Millions of people around the world are facing crises that threaten their survival, their dignity and their future. In the face of these disasters, we must respond with compassion, solidarity and determination. Here are ten major humanitarian crises that call for urgent action! Together, we can bring hope back to the women, men and children who have sometimes lost everything.

1. The food crisis in Africa

Across East, Central and West Africa, in countries such as Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya, around 60 million people are going hungry because of prolonged drought, conflict and economic shocks.

More than 5.7 million children are suffering from acute malnutrition, over 1.7 million of them severely malnourished and in need of urgent medical care. The Horn of Africa has seen five failed rainy seasons in a row, causing one of the worst droughts in more than 40 years. The result has been massive losses of livestock and crops, putting the livelihoods of millions of people at risk. More than 9 million head of livestock have died in the region! Farming systems are in decline and food reserves are running out.

In 2024, a swift, large-scale response is essential to prevent a disaster of enormous proportions. Humanitarian aid, support for local farmers and initiatives that help communities build resilience must be the priority.

2. The war in Ukraine

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the country has been living through a humanitarian crisis on a scale unseen in Europe since the Second World War. Millions of people have been displaced within the country or have fled to neighbouring states in search of safety. Civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools and water supply networks, has been badly damaged by the fighting, leaving people without access to essential services.

In 2024, Ukraine needs large-scale humanitarian aid to support vulnerable people, especially during the coming winter months, when extreme cold threatens the poorest. Access to electricity, heating and clean drinking water is urgently needed in many parts of the country. Psychological support for people traumatised by the war, particularly children, is also vital to help rebuild society. The international community must step up its efforts to ensure that aid reaches those who need it most, while supporting initiatives to bring the conflict to an end.

3. The emergency in Palestine

Since October 2023, the conflict between Israel and Palestine has escalated dramatically. Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip intensified in response to rocket fire launched from the enclave. The bombardments have killed and injured thousands of Palestinian civilians, worsening a humanitarian situation that was already critical because of the blockade imposed by Israel. In Gaza, where 2.3 million people live in extremely overcrowded conditions, basic infrastructure is on the verge of collapse, and shortages of food, water and medicine are getting worse. Humanitarian efforts are severely hampered by restrictions on movement, while overwhelmed hospitals struggle to cope with the influx of wounded. Despite international calls for a ceasefire, the violence continues, fuelling a cycle of reprisals.

It is imperative that the international community finds lasting solutions to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict while ensuring that humanitarian aid gets through. Rebuilding essential infrastructure and improving living conditions in Gaza and the West Bank must be priorities, so that Palestinians have a chance to live in dignity and peace.

LIFE has been working in Palestine for several years and is redoubling its efforts in this emergency. If you would like to join us in helping the people of Gaza, you can make a donation.

4. Floods in Bangladesh

For several years, and especially in 2024, Bangladesh has faced devastating floods caused by exceptionally heavy monsoon rains and rivers bursting their banks. The country is highly vulnerable to natural disasters, and climate change is making these events more frequent and more intense.

The latest floods submerged entire towns, affecting nearly 5 million people, including 1.5 million children. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced, their homes destroyed by the water. Around 200,000 people are currently in shelters. Essential infrastructure, including roads and bridges, has been badly damaged, hampering relief efforts.

LIFE has been working in Bangladesh for many years, on access to education as well as access to clean drinking water and sanitation (building latrines and more). After the cyclone in May 2024, we distributed thousands of hygiene kits to people in need.

5. Rohingya refugees

Also in Bangladesh, the Rohingya, a Muslim minority from Myanmar, continue to live in precarious conditions after fleeing violence and persecution in their home country. In 2024, more than a million of them are living in overcrowded camps with appalling sanitation. Access to education and healthcare is limited. It is crucial that the international community steps up its efforts to find lasting solutions, including the safe return of refugees to Myanmar or their resettlement in third countries.

6. The crisis in Lebanon

In 2024, Lebanon is caught in a whirlwind of overlapping crises. Already ravaged by an unprecedented economic crisis, the country is sinking ever deeper into instability as the Israeli–Palestinian conflict intensifies. The fallout from this war, right on its southern border, is heightening internal tensions, deepening political divisions and fuelling fears that the country could once again become a battlefield.

The Lebanese currency is collapsing, public services are in ruins and millions of people are living in poverty. Meanwhile, the many Palestinian refugees already in the country see their hopes of a better future slipping away. The strain on infrastructure is unbearable, and the threat of further displacement looms large.

Lebanon now stands at a turning point. Despite the enormous challenges it faces, it remains a symbol of resilience and survival at the heart of regional turmoil. If the international community chooses to act in solidarity, it can help preserve this country once known as “the Switzerland of the Middle East” and give it a chance to recover and regain its stability.

7. The conflict in Yemen

Yemen is the scene of one of the worst humanitarian crises of our time. After almost a decade of war, violence continues to tear the country apart, leaving millions of people on the brink of famine, made worse by epidemics such as cholera. Since 2015, the conflict has claimed more than 12,000 civilian victims, and 80% of the population needs humanitarian aid. Infrastructure lies in ruins, and whole generations of children have known nothing but war, disease and poverty. Fuelled by regional powers, the conflict seems endless, and yet the world’s attention is fading, leaving Yemen in the shadows.

Despite repeated appeals from humanitarian organisations, international aid is struggling to meet people’s desperate needs. Every day, families fight to survive amid shortages of food, clean water and basic medical care. Yemen’s future now depends on the world coming together to end this war, rebuild a devastated country and restore hope to a nation that refuses to give up.

8. The crisis in Syria

Syria is a fractured country, scarred by thirteen years of relentless war. The wounds of past conflict are everywhere: cities in ruins, millions of people displaced, and a population worn down by violence and poverty. On top of this, natural disasters keep striking, such as the earthquake in February 2023 that killed nearly 60,000 people in Turkey and Syria. The country is trapped between a devastating economic crisis, international sanctions that are stifling its recovery, and an international community divided over how to act.

Syrians, who once dreamed of peace, now struggle to survive day to day amid hardship, with water, electricity and healthcare in short supply. Rebuilding Syria seems out of reach without a genuine surge of solidarity. Yet amid the chaos, hope endures: fragile, but stubborn. The resilience of the Syrian people could be the key to a rebirth, provided that all of us finally commit to supporting this broken nation.

In 2024, the humanitarian crises facing the world demand a collective, urgent response more than ever. Every action counts: every donation, every act of solidarity can save lives and bring hope back to those who need it most. Together, we have the power to make a difference. In 2024, let’s choose humanity and solidarity.

Let’s join forces to meet these communities’ needs and help them rebuild their lives.