As the need for global aid has reached record levels, donations have dropped significantly - with United Nations agencies unable to secure even half of what was needed. That is according to a representative in Dubai.

"While there is growing needs on the rise, the funding is also decreasing,” said Berangere Boell, UN Resident Coordinator in the UAE.“Last year, less than 50 per cent of the funding was mobilised in order to address the needs of those who need life-saving assistance."

According to the UN, 305 million people need urgent humanitarian aid in 2025 due to escalating crises. Boelle noted that this was the highest number of people ever recorded in need of assistance across the world. Conflict and climate change are causing unprecedented displacement, hunger, and destruction.

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She was speaking at a panel discussion in Madinat Jumeirah on Wednesday, where Dubai Humanitarian (DXBH), the world's largest humanitarian hub, premiered its short film 'For Humanity'. The movie offered a behind-the-scenes look at how aid moves from the heart of Dubai to crisis-affected communities around the world as DXBH maintains its commitments to make humanitarian response faster, smarter, and more connected.

Founded in 2003, the initiative has been at the forefront of getting aid to various parts of the world. In the first half of this year alone, DXBH distributed aid worth more than Dh179 million to 81 countries worldwide.

Stephen Anderson, Director of the World Food Program UAE Office, said that the entity had supported 120 million beneficiaries last year.“I will give the very recent example of the earthquake that took place in eastern Afghanistan, which is still affecting many people,” he said.“It is very difficult operating environment in Afghanistan, but thanks to prepositioned food stocks, WFP was able to be the first agency that actually managed to get resources into the area. The whole ecosystem that the Dubai Humanitarian has provided us with enabled that. Very quickly, four relief flights could take place, and about 250 metric tons of assistance have actually been flown into the area.

According to Badr Abbas, Divisional Senior Vice President at Emirates SkyCargo, the company assists in the emirate's humanitarian response.

“Speed is very crucial for humanitarian response,” he said.“For example, when Pakistan was devastated by the floods in 2022, we used our 53 weekly flights into Pakistan across five airports to deliver the critical food, water, and shelter. This network advantage of 145 destinations, many with multiple frequencies, meant that aid could be delivered to communities even in remote areas.”

He also gave the example of how Dubai responded during the pandemic by transporting 1 billion vaccine doses on more than 2,000 flights in just 18 months, with the vaccines reaching their destination in just 48 hours. He added that Emirates was preparing to elevate its commitment to delivering humanitarian aid with its courier service.“We are expanding our door-to-door solutions,” he said.“By end of December 2026, we will have 21 dedicated freighters in our fleet. Over the next decade, we're planning to double our capacities and add 20 new destinations to our network. This expansion will give us even more flexibility and scale to support humanitarian organisations in their missions.”

Boelle said that a global“humanitarian reset” was underway due to the chronic underfunding and that the focus needs to shift from providing aid during a crisis to preventing them.

“Currently, less than 3 per cent of the funding goes to anticipatory action,” she said.“We know that $1 invested in prevention is $4 saved in response to humanitarian. We know the data. Now is the time to turbocharge it and respond collectively.”

Badr added that humanitarian response was not just about capacity but about collaboration.“No single entity can solve these challenges alone,” he said.“It requires the combined strength of governments, NGOs, and the private sector working in harmony.”

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