The ICRC appeals for 1.8 billion Swiss francs for its operations in 2026
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is appealing for 1.8 billion Swiss francs to fund its global humanitarian response in 2026. This appeal represents the backbone requirements to fulfil our mission to protect and assist people affected by armed conflict and other situations of violence, amid the financial uncertainty currently facing the humanitarian sector.
Worldwide, the number of armed conflicts has more than doubled in the last 15 years, with around 130 active conflicts at the start of 2026. The parties involved are challenging international humanitarian law (IHL) or simply ignoring it, leading to persistent and widespread violations.
Civilians bear the brunt, and the scale of suffering is immense: hundreds of thousands killed, millions displaced, families dispersed and searching for missing loved ones, and livelihoods destroyed. Children, women, the wounded and people with disabilities often pay the highest price.
Focusing efforts where the ICRC’s help is most needed
Amid a dangerous convergence of escalating armed conflicts, cuts to aid funding and a growing tolerance for IHL violations, we have taken significant steps to create a leaner, more efficient organization and minimize the resulting impact on our response activities for conflict-affected populations. The result is an ambitious, realistic and focused operational plan, guided by our Institutional Strategy 2024–2027.
Protection will remain central to our work. In 2026, we will continue to advocate for the protection of people who are not – or are no longer – participating in hostilities, striving to prevent, mitigate or stop harm to them by acting as a neutral intermediary across front lines, providing urgent aid, visiting detainees or resolving missing-persons cases.
At a time when the rules of war are questioned and violated, galvanizing political commitment to IHL remains a priority as well. In 2024, the ICRC and several states launched the global IHL initiative to this end; in 2026, it will culminate in a global meeting of government leaders, with the theme of upholding humanity in times of war.
Our efforts to foster respect for IHL are complemented by our assistance programme, which aims to address the consequences of conflict and other violence, including the consequences of IHL violations. In 2026, our neutral, impartial and independent approach, and our dialogue with parties to armed conflict, will continue enabling us to help people in hard-to-reach areas where few other humanitarian actors are present, notably, in several countries in Africa and in Europe and Central Asia.
In areas hit hardest by conflict, such as in Israel and the occupied territories, Sudan, Ukraine and Yemen, we will concentrate our resources on efforts to address the most urgent needs – including life-saving activities – while scaling back others. We will restore access to water and electricity, support the delivery of health-care services, provide food, shelter and cash, and give critical livelihood support. Beyond providing direct emergency assistance, we will also enable the authorities and local partners to provide these services themselves to people in need.
To do all this, we will continue to work closely with conflict-affected communities, and our partners in the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, to ensure that we can implement protection and assistance activities in a timely manner, and maximize their impact.
