The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched its Health Emergency Appeal for 2024 to raise funds to address severe humanitarian crises sparked by armed conflict and the changing climate. The WHO aims to raise $1.5 billion through the appeal. These funds will be utilized to respond to 15 Grade 3 (maximal WHO response) emergencies around the globe.

Threats posed, like outbreaks of infectious diseases, have left almost 300 million people in need of humanitarian protection globally. The appeal acknowledges that a lack of access to medical care places an economic burden on individuals during medical crises, perpetuating poverty. As a result, the appeal extends its consideration to people worldwide who require humanitarian care in general.

Decreasing Humanitarian Funding Around the Globe

Humanitarian care across the globe has been vastly underfunded in recent years. It reached its lowest point in 2023 when health cluster partners received only 12% of the funding they appealed for. According to WHO Secretary-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, inaction by member states has put millions of lives at risk in the long term.

WHO’s Health Emergency Appeal for 2024 intends to reverse the cycle of humanitarian underfunding by requesting increased amounts of assistance from states like Germany and Saudi Arabia. Germany and Saudi Arabia have already contributed to the cause in significant ways.

KSRelief, a Saudi Arabian NGO that provides humanitarian care on the global level, has collaborated with the WHO in five instances to improve disease-prevention measures. In addition, Germany has already pledged $10 million for the appeal, with more aid coming in the shape of medical support for WHO regional missions in countries like Ukraine, Gaza and Egypt.

How the WHO Will Use Appeal Funds

To address humanitarian crises timely and robustly, the WHO hopes to optimize its use of funds secured through the appeal. The organization’s response consists of detecting medical threats in impoverished regions, deploying resources such as medical personnel and supplies and forming health systems that provide medical assistance against future threats.

This year’s appeal deals with an exceptional number of humanitarian crises. Armed conflict and/or repressive governments in countries like Isreal, Sudan, Ukraine and Somalia became more devastating in 2024. This situation makes these countries vulnerable to medical threats, further impoverishing their populations.

A key goal listed in documents connected to the WHO’s 2024 appeal is adapting to local environments within target countries. Adaptation to the local environment would ensure that important variables such as individual wealth and availability of medical facilities are considered when formulating a response to health emergencies. By working with a network of local partners in target regions, the WHO can succeed in its mission, which involves providing unique humanitarian assistance to communities whose needs and issues vary significantly.

Satisfying the quota of funds listed in the appeal ($1.5 billion) would allow the WHO to employ a larger medical workforce, deliver greater amounts of specialist supplies and ultimately form medical systems capable of providing long-term medical care in impoverished regions. Such assistance would lift millions out of health-related poverty in developing countries. Additionally, it will help provide jobs, contributing to the improvement of the economy in developed countries.

– Parth Mishra
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