From Gaza to Syria, Sudan, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Haiti, and countless other regions, man-made disasters are pushing global humanitarian needs to levels never before seen.

The international community now faces an urgent challenge as humanitarian organisations struggle to keep pace, with resources dwindling at an alarming rate.

Fletcher said that the global humanitarian system is under more strain than at any point since the Second World War. "This is not a drill," he said, highlighting the immense difficulty of providing aid in today's climate. While humanitarian workers face extraordinary challenges, Fletcher stressed that the true suffering is borne by the millions in desperate need of assistance. "Currently, over 300 million people require humanitarian support," he said, pointing to the scale of funding cuts that are shaking the sector to its core.

The United States (US), traditionally one of the largest donors to international humanitarian efforts, has recently implemented severe cuts, particularly through the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development, which has ended 83% of its supported programmes. This has had a devastating impact on humanitarian operations across the globe, including in South Africa.

Fletcher acknowledged that the international community had become overly reliant on US funding in recent years, with nearly half of global humanitarian appeals being financed by American taxpayers. "We must recognise that this reliance should never have been taken for granted, especially as many governments scale back their global commitments," he said.

Looking ahead, Fletcher outlined the critical weeks ahead, which he believes will determine the fate of the humanitarian sector and the millions of people it serves. He also spoke candidly about the inability of the international community to tackle the root causes of the conflicts that often lead to such disasters.

On the issue of conflict resolution, Fletcher stressed, "There is a collective responsibility for the international community to improve its efforts in resolving conflicts." He pointed out that the wars causing such widespread devastation are not only growing in duration but also in intensity. "The combination of the length and intensity of these conflicts is driving our numbers in the wrong direction," he said. "The bottom-line figure of 307 million people in need is only going in the wrong direction."

--ChannelAfrica--