Lifelines cut: how funding retreat is undermining humanitarian health

Overview

At the start of 2025, health cluster partners aimed to reach 84 million people. Within months, the target was reduced to 45 million, not due to decreased needs, but because of funding constraints. By year-end, 50 million people were reached with only 38% (USD 1.28 billion) of required funding, leaving millions without essential health services.

This brief details the impact of these reductions: suspended health facilities, scaled-back services, and lost coordination staff in some of the world’s most complex crises. It highlights the importance of coordination in enabling effective prioritization and concludes with recommendations to safeguard this capacity. With sustained investment, we can and must do more.