The World Health Organization has launched its 2026 Health Emergency Appeal, asking for US$1 billion to sustain emergency operations next year. Director‑General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced, “Today, WHO is appealing for US$ 1 billion to sustain its emergency operations in 2026,” urging donors to provide predictable, flexible funding that allows WHO to act early and prevent crises from escalating.
The appeal arrives amid a persistent and complex global humanitarian landscape: WHO says 239 million people will face humanitarian need in 2026, and the appeal covers 36 ongoing health emergencies, including 14 Grade‑3 emergencies that require the highest level of response. The organization frames the $1 billion request as an investment in early action, preparedness and life‑saving interventions.
The scale and context of the 2026 appeal
WHO’s 2026 Health Emergency Appeal responds to needs across 36 active health emergencies, of which 14 are classified as Grade‑3, the most severe category. The appeal estimates that 239 million people will require humanitarian assistance in 2026, highlighting concentrated and overlapping crises around the world.
By contrast, WHO’s 2025 Health Emergency Appeal had requested US$1.5 billion for a year in which 305 million people were estimated to need humanitarian support. WHO warns that crises remain “relentless, overlapping and intensifying,” even where the line resource ask is lower than the previous year.
The appeal documentation unpacks these numbers in country annexes and detailed budgets, reflecting a complex mix of protracted conflict, population displacement, disease outbreaks and climate shocks that drive health needs globally.
Where funds will be used: priorities for action
WHO has identified a set of clear spending priorities for the $1 billion appeal. Funds are earmarked to sustain essential health services and to deliver life‑saving interventions such as trauma care, routine and outbreak vaccinations, maternal and child health services, and mental health and psychosocial support.
Investment will also go toward strengthening disease surveillance and preparedness systems, deploying emergency medical teams, prepositioning supplies and ensuring rapid shipment of critical commodities. The organization emphasizes that predictable and flexible funding allows early action to prevent emergencies from escalating at far greater human and financial cost.
WHO says sharper prioritization will guide the 2026 response, focusing on interventions that save lives, reducing duplication, and ensuring greater value for each dollar through coordinated, country‑led action.
Flash appeals and country‑specific priorities
The 2026 Health Emergency Appeal includes flash and dedicated appeals for high‑priority crises, including the occupied Palestinian territory, Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic and Ukraine. WHO has also published separate country appeals where needs are acute and distinct.
For example, the Ukraine 2026 Humanitarian Appeal requests US$42 million aimed specifically at protecting health care, supporting hospitals, emergency care and essential services in areas affected by conflict. WHO’s country annexes present tailored plans and budgets to address local health system gaps and immediate life‑saving needs.
WHO has made the full donor alert and a downloadable 2026 Health Emergency Appeal document available to accompany the US$1 billion request, enabling donors to see line‑by‑line budgets and program priorities across countries and regions.
Protecting health care under attack: the case of Ukraine
Protection of health care is a central component of the appeal, underscored by verified attacks. WHO reports at least 2,841 verified attacks on health care in Ukraine since early 2022, a grim reminder of the risks faced by health workers, patients and facilities in conflict zones.
WHO’s response in Ukraine and similar contexts prioritizes restoring and safeguarding health services, prepositioning surgical and emergency supplies, and supporting systems that allow ambulances and clinics to operate safely. The agency stresses that protecting health infrastructure is essential to preventing additional loss of life and limiting the long‑term collapse of services.
Funding directed to protection and resilience measures helps ensure that trauma care, maternal and child services, vaccination campaigns and routine care remain available even under direct threat or during acute hostilities.
Disease outbreaks, cholera resurgence and urgent warnings
Disease outbreaks are a key driver of the 2026 appeal. WHO’s documentation highlights a global cholera resurgence in 2024 with 751,400 reported cases and over 5,200 deaths across 33 countries, data used as part of the rationale for emergency funding to prevent disease spread and save lives.
WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO) warns that Yemen faces concurrent outbreaks, cholera, measles, dengue and polio, compounded by acute malnutrition and climate shocks. EMRO bluntly states, “Every delay in funding translates into lost opportunities to save lives,” emphasizing the time‑sensitive nature of outbreak response.
The 2026 appeal also prioritizes vaccines, surveillance, laboratory support and rapid response capacities so countries can detect, contain and control outbreaks before they become regional or global threats.
Operational reach, coordination and a shift toward localization
WHO coordinates more than 1,500 partners, about two‑thirds of them national and local organizations, and maintains a permanent presence in over 150 countries. That operational footprint underpins WHO’s capacity to deliver targeted support and to marshal international resources quickly.
The 2026 approach signals a deliberate shift: greater emphasis on country leadership and local partnerships, moving financing and decision‑making closer to delivery. WHO aims to reduce duplication, prioritize interventions that save lives, and maximize impact per dollar by empowering local actors.
WHO also stresses the need for diversified, predictable financing and cites major contributors to recent Health Emergency Appeals and humanitarian funding rounds, including the European Commission, UN CERF, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Japan, Italy, the UK, the European Investment Bank, ASEF and the MBRGI.
Funding pitch: predictability, flexibility and early action
Director‑General Tedros framed the US$1 billion request as an investment in early action and preparedness: “Predictable and flexible funding allows WHO to act early and prevent emergencies from escalating at far greater human and financial cost.” That messaging underpins the agency’s push for multi‑year, flexible contributions.
WHO argues that predictable funding enables the rapid deployment of emergency medical teams, the prepositioning of lifesaving supplies and sustained support for routine health services that can collapse during crises. Flexible resources also let WHO pivot quickly when new emergencies emerge or when outbreaks intensify.
To broaden the donor base and stabilize financing, WHO highlights mechanisms like the 2025 and upcoming 2028 Investment Rounds and encourages both traditional and nontraditional donors to contribute to a diversified funding architecture.
Transparency, documentation and how donors can engage
WHO has published a full donor alert and a downloadable 2026 Health Emergency Appeal document that include detailed budgets, country annexes and program priorities. These materials are meant to increase transparency and to help donors align contributions with operational needs.
The appeal outlines specific funding windows and program lines for donors who want to support particular countries, flash appeals or thematic priorities such as vaccine procurement, emergency medical teams or protection of health infrastructure. This granularity is intended to improve accountability and aid planning.
WHO also requests that donors favor predictable and flexible contributions to enable early action, localization of decision‑making and sustained support for health systems under stress, measures the agency says will save more lives for every dollar invested.
As WHO launches this US$1 billion appeal for 2026, the agency and partners face the difficult task of matching limited resources to urgent, often overlapping needs. The balance between targeted, life‑saving interventions and longer‑term resilience will test the international community’s willingness to fund prevention and rapid response.
Ultimately, the success of the appeal will depend on donors’ readiness to provide predictable, flexible financing and on the effectiveness of WHO’s shift toward country leadership and localization. With detailed plans and a clear operational focus, WHO presents the case that early funding is both humanitarian and cost‑effective, preventing larger crises and saving lives.
