WHO appeals for $1.5bn to tackle global health emergencies in 2025

GENEVA: The World Health Organization (WHO) has appealed for $1.5 billion to fund emergency operations in 2025, warning that conflict, climate change, epidemics, and displacement had converged to create an “unprecedented global health crisis.”

The UN health agency estimated that 305 million people will require urgent humanitarian assistance this year due to ongoing health emergencies.

“WHO is seeking $1.5 billion to support our life-saving work for the emergencies we know about and to respond swiftly to new crises,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as he launched the appeal.

The funding request, which mirrors last year’s amount, outlines critical priorities and resources necessary to address 42 ongoing health emergencies. “Conflicts, outbreaks, climate-related disasters, and other health emergencies are no longer isolated or occasional — they are relentless, overlapping, and intensifying,” Tedros added in a statement.

He highlighted the emergency health assistance provided in conflict zones, including the occupied Palestinian territories, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sudan. WHO’s efforts also encompass vaccination campaigns, treating malnutrition, and managing outbreaks of diseases such as cholera.

“Without adequate and sustainable funding, we face the impossible task of deciding who will receive care and who will not this year,” Tedros warned at Thursday’s event. “Your support helps ensure that WHO remains a lifeline, bridging the gap between sickness and health, despair and hope, life and death for millions of people worldwide.”