The EU has set out new measures to strengthen how it delivers humanitarian aid worldwide as rising needs outstrip available funding.
Some 239 million people globally need humanitarian assistance, but current international funding can support fewer than half, leaving millions without life-saving help, the European Commission said on Wednesday.
It added that crises are lasting longer and becoming harder to respond to because of insecurity and funding cuts.
The plan — adopted in a “Joint Communication on Humanitarian Aid” by the European Commission and the EU’s High Representative — is built around three strands: protecting humanitarian work, improving aid delivery, and working with partners to reduce reliance on emergency support.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU wanted to deliver life-saving aid “more efficiently” while also “building resilience to reduce dependency on aid.”
Three strands: protect, perform, partner
Under the “protect” strand, the EU said it would step up “humanitarian diplomacy” to help aid reach people safely and without obstruction.
It also emphasised that it would increase measures and funding for the safety of humanitarian workers, including preventing security incidents and providing care for victims.
The Commission said it would also seek a bigger role for local organisations and communities in humanitarian responses, and that its support should be inclusive, “in particular the most vulnerable”.
Under “perform”, the EU said it would reform humanitarian supply chains — the logistics of getting aid from procurement to delivery — to improve cost-effectiveness.
It added it would expand approaches such as cash assistance and “anticipatory action”, meaning support provided in advance of expected crises, as well as multi-year funding and pooled funds.
The “partner” strand includes working more closely with international financial institutions, the private sector and philanthropies to find new ways of financing assistance in fragile settings.
In background notes, the Commission cited conflicts including Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, and said forced displacement and asylum-seeking had doubled over the past decade to 117.3 million people in 2025.
The EU and its member states provided 35% of global humanitarian funding in 2025, it said, adding that the Commission alone allocated almost €2 billion for humanitarian aid this year.
