INTRODUCTION
World Humanitarian Data and Trends (WHDT) 2017 highlights major trends in the nature of humanitarian crises, their causes and drivers. This year’s report includes case studies on Official Development Assistance in protracted crises, diversifying funding tools, hunger indicators, sexual and reproductive health in emergencies, aid worker security and 10-year trends in conflict.
A Decade of Conflicts
Armed conflicts have been a major cause of disruption across the humanitarian landscape in the last decade. Since 2006, the number of political conflicts worldwide has increased: in 2016, 402 conflicts were ongoing, compared with 278 in 2006.
The number of people forcibly displaced by violence and conflict also increased to reach an unprecedented 65.6 million in 2016. Most of the world’s refugees came from Afghanistan, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Syria. The global number of internally displaced persons (40.3 million) continued to be approximately double the number of refugees (22.5 million).
Approximately 97 per cent of humanitarian action, people in need and allocated resources were in complex emergencies.
A Decade of Conflicts
Armed conflicts have been a major cause of disruption across the humanitarian landscape in the last decade. Since 2006, the number of political conflicts worldwide has increased: in 2016, 402 conflicts were ongoing, compared with 278 in 2006.
The number of people forcibly displaced by violence and conflict also increased to reach an unprecedented 65.6 million in 2016. Most of the world’s refugees came from Afghanistan, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Syria. The global number of internally displaced persons (40.3 million) continued to be approximately double the number of refugees (22.5 million).
Approximately 97 per cent of humanitarian action, people in need and allocated resources were in complex emergencies.
Asia and Oceania
Europe
Middle East and Maghreb
Sub-Saharan Africa
The Americas
EXPLOSIVE WEAPONS
HEAVILY IMPACT CIVILIAN POPULATIONS
Many armed conflicts take place in urban areas, often with a devastating impact on civilians. High population density and the close proximity of civilians and civilian objects to military objectives greatly increase the risk of civilian death, injury and displacement, in addition to damage to critical infrastructure, the disruption of essential services, and the loss of access to education and livelihoods. In 2016, 70 per cent of deaths and injuries resulting from explosive weapons were civilian. In populated areas, this figure was even higher: 92 per cent.
The use of explosive weapons also results in explosive remnants of war (ERW), which pose a continuing lethal threat to civilians, and a major obstacle to reconstruction and the return of displaced persons. In 2016, 86 per cent of deaths and injuries from mines and ERW were civilian, but with a disproportionate impact on the male population: 47 per cent of casualties were men and 32 per cent were boys.
THE WORSENING IMPACT OF NATURAL DISASTERS
Climate change, conflict and urbanization, among other forces, are increasing vulnerability and exacerbating the impact and intensity of natural disasters. While the number of natural disasters decreased in 2016 compared with 2015, the number of people affected doubled, from 102 million in 2015 to 204 million in 2016. The total damage also increased from US$90 billion in 2015 to $147 billion in 2016.
2015
People affected
102 MILLION
Damage Cost (US$)
$90 BILLION
2016
People affected
204MILLION
Damage Cost (US$)
$147BILLION
DIVERSIFYING FUNDING TOOLS
Humanitarian actors take many forms: international staff, national Governments, religious leaders and digital volunteers, among others. Local organizations often are the first responders, especially in situations where there is no formal coordinated international response. Yet current international funding mechanisms are not always available to fund these local actors or build their capacities. Humanitarians are working to provide more effective aid and flexible funding to all types of crises.
One example is the Start Fund—the first multi-donor pooled fund managed by NGOs. It fills the funding gap by providing grants to its members within 72 hours of a response activation. The goal is to respond to emergencies that may not receive the same level of funding or attention as large-scale or protracted crises. In 2016, the Start Fund provided $13.1 million to support 41 responses to crises in 32 countries. Seventy-eight per cent of responses involved implementation with one or more local or national NGO partners.
Zambia
22 Mar 2016
$156,200
Ecuador
27 Apr 2016
$765,421
Indonesia
15 Mar 2016
$725,460
Malawi
12 Apr 2016
$312,400
DROUGHT
EARTHQUAKE
REFUGEE
Resources
World Humanitarian Data and Trends is just one part of OCHA's efforts to improve data and analysis on humanitarian situations worldwide and build a humanitarian data community.