Calling on the international humanitarian sector to do more to respond to the needs of the world’s most vulnerable people
Calling on the international humanitarian sector to do more to respond to the needs of the world’s most vulnerable people
In recent years, Governments and aid organisations have made various commitments about ensuring that the world’s most vulnerable people are not “left behind”.
But those commitments are not being reached. We estimate in the 2018 World Disasters Report that millions of people living in crisis are not receiving the humanitarian assistance they desperately need.
Read the report
The report identifies five mistakes that can lead to international humanitarian actors inadvertently leaving people behind. It also includes clear and compelling recommendations to overcome these structural problems.
- PDF in english 4.9MB
- PDF en français 2.2MB
- PDF en español 7.8MB
- في اللغة العربية PDF 7 MB
3,751
natural hazards have been recorded over the last 10 years, more than one every day
84.2%
of these had weather-related triggers
134,000,000
people need assistance in 2018, according to the UN
Chapter summaries
Chapter one
Leaving no one behind
How do we adjust our response to prevent people in need from falling through the cracks? Humanitarian principles point to serving those most in need, so what’s stopping the international community from achieving this goal?
Chapter four
Left out of the loop: the people unintentionally excluded
Are we offering the right support, in ways communities can use it? Some vulnerable groups, such as older persons and people with disabilities, are unintentionally but systematically left out because of simple mistakes that come down to language, communication skills or access issues. How do we turn this around?
Chapter two
Out of sight: the people not seen
The sector may lack information about the number of people or their location, or the people themselves may be unable to provide proof of identity or eligibility. Poor or non-existent mapping,particularly in remote areas and fast-growing urban slums, can also render entire communities invisible. Here is why that happens and how we can address it.
Chapter five
Out of money: the people who are not prioritized
The massive and growing gap between funds needed by humanitarian groups and funds available to them is a major factor in people missing out. This gap has been growing for more than a decade and some crises attract far more donor attention than others. What can we do about making the funds we have go further?
Chapter three
Out of reach: the people who are difficult to access
Geography, insecurity, and restrictive policies from affected States and donors cut people off from humanitarian assistance. How can we support hard to reach people regardless of the obstacles?
Chapter six
Out of scope: the people who “aren’t our problem”
Are donors and humanitarians blind to the crises that do not fit within traditional categories of conflict, disaster, displacement or disease? As the nature and contexts of human suffering continue to change, the humanitarian system will need to evolve.
Chapter seven
Trends in disasters and IFRC insights
What can we learn from the latest data about the nature, frequency and location of disaster events? We take stock of global disaster trends and what they have meant for the IFRC network’s disaster risk management efforts.
Chapter eight
Read our Conclusions
The World Disasters Report 2018 presents six clear and compelling recommendations to governments, donors, and international humanitarian organizations that can help the whole sector to support more people in need.
Read the report
The report identifies five mistakes that can lead to international humanitarian actors inadvertently leaving people behind. It also includes clear and compelling recommendations to overcome these structural problems.
- PDF in english 4.9MB
- PDF en français 2.2MB
- PDF en español 7.8MB
- في اللغة العربية PDF 7 MB
About the World Disasters Report
The questions, challenges and expertise within the 2018 World Disasters Report come from the sharp end of humanitarian action: from local volunteers providing life-saving and life-changing support within their own communities. The report relies in large part on consultations with National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies around the world, focusing on the examples most frequently cited by them when asked to identify who is being left behind. The analysis reflects the experience and concerns of IFRC’s global network and of the community-based volunteers that are at its core.
