Top countries by population in need of humanitarian aid in 2025

Key takeaways:

  • The crisis in Ukraine, affecting about 12.7 million people, represents 5.13% of the global humanitarian needs.
  • The top eleven nations account for more than 70% of global humanitarian demands, with over 177 million individuals requiring aid.
  • Sudan has the highest number of individuals requiring assistance (30.4 million), which is 12.29% of the total global figure.
  • Both Nigeria and Chad report 7.8 million individuals in need, which is 3.15% of the total global humanitarian need.

As of 2025, more than 247 million individuals across 31 countries require critical humanitarian aid. Sudan is at the forefront of these humanitarian concerns, with over 30.4 million people representing 12.29% of the global population in need. Following closely is Afghanistan, where nearly 23 million individuals face humanitarian crises, making up 9.24% of the overall global requirements.

The crisis deeply impacts various regions, with approximately 20 million people in critical conditions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, and Yemen. The ongoing conflict in Syria continues to affect over 16.6 million individuals, while the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine impacts 12.7 million people.

Asia is experiencing significant humanitarian challenges, with Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Yemen together accounting for over 25% of global humanitarian needs. Likewise, several African countries are significantly represented in this crisis landscape, with South Sudan, Chad, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe each having millions of citizens in need of assistance.

Source:

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA)

Period:

2025
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Related Insights
Sudan is the leading country with the highest total number of individuals requiring assistance, alongside its UN targets among African nations
Key takeaways:
  • Mozambique has the fewest individuals requiring support from the United Nations.
  • The UN plans to help 3.6 million of the 7.8 million people in Nigeria who require assistance.
  • Sudan is the only Northern African country recorded by the UN as having people in need.
  • In East and Southern Africa, the countries with the highest and lowest numbers of individuals in need are Ethiopia and Zimbabwe, respectively.
  • The Democratic Republic of Congo and Niger have the highest and lowest number of individuals needing assistance, respectively, in West and Central Africa.
Met and unmet United Nations (UN) requirements for Nigeria's humanitarian support (2016-2024)
Key takeaways:
  • The highest percentage of requirements was met in 2019.
  • Less than 50 percent of UN funds targeted towards Nigeria's humanitarian aid was realised in 2023.
  • As of 2020, the year of the Covid-19 pandemic, approximately 58 percent of the UN target for Nigeria's humanitarian support was raised, which is lower than the percentage realised in 2019 and 2021.
  • Every year, Nigeria obtains at least 40% of the UN's humanitarian aid needs.
The United Nations' (UN) achieved requirements for Nigeria’s humanitarian response plan (2016 - 2024)
Key takeaways:
  • The highest amount of funds raised for Nigeria’s humanitarian aid was recorded in 2017 at $770 million.
  • From 2019 to 2020, there was only a slight increase of 0.3% in the amount raised.
  • By 2023, a decline of 23.42% from 2022's raised funds was witnessed, and it is the lowest decline experienced since 2017.
  • Regardless of fluctuations in annual assistance, Nigeria continued to receive humanitarian aid from the United Nations.
Population of people in need of humanitarian assistance in 2025 - Top 15 countries
Key takeaways:  
  • Most countries can only target 50-70% of their populations in need.
  • Sudan has the greatest humanitarian requirements, with 30.44 million people affected, and it is projected that only 69% will receive help, leaving 10 million individuals unsupported.
  • Myanmar exhibits the largest gap, with over 19.9 million people in need and only 5.5 million targeted for assistance.
  • The situation in Ukraine leaves nearly 7 million individuals without adequate assistance while targeting approximately 6 million individuals.
UN's 2025 requirements to address Africa's humanitarian crisis
Key takeaways:
  • Sudan is the highest recipient of UN humanitarian aid among African nations in need of humanitarian support and the only North African country receiving such assistance.
  • Nigeria is among the top nine African nations that will each receive humanitarian aid worth more than $700 million.
  • Zambia and Malawi will receive humanitarian support of less than $100 million each.
  • Six countries among the African countries facing humanitarian crises are to receive UN support worth more than $1 billion each.
Proportion of individuals in need in Africa set to receive United Nations' support (2025)
Key takeaways:
  • Mozambique and Chad exhibit the greatest coverage rates for individuals in need of support.
  • Less than half of those in need in Nigeria and Zimbabwe are projected to receive UN assistance.
  • At least 40% of individuals in need across African nations are expected to receive UN support.
  • No nation benefits from full support for individuals requiring humanitarian aid within its borders.
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