Statistics on Humanitarian Relief

by Michael Kleinman

Published October 13, 2008 @ 01:36PM PST

Given the fragmented nature of the humanitarian sector, it’s difficult to estimate the total number of people receiving humanitarian assistance, much less the total number in need. However, proxy statistics can give a sense of scope.

Below are statistics about the number of beneficiaries, number of humanitarian organizations and aid workers, total amount of humanitarian funding, the main recipients of humanitarian funding, attacks on aid workers, and staff-wellness.

16 Million Refugees, 51 Million Internally Displaced, 90 Million Hungry:

According to the UN, there are currently 16 million refugees worldwide, in addition to 51 million people displaced within their own countries – 26 million displaced by armed conflict, and 25 million by natural disasters.

The World Food Program estimates that 90 million people require food aid, 54 million of whom live in Africa.

34 Armed Conflicts and 414 Natural Disasters:

As of 2007, there were 34 armed conflicts worldwide. That same year, a total of 414 natural disasters affected 211 million people. Overall, these natural disasters resulted in 16,847 deaths, and caused $74.9 billion in damages.

There are currently humanitarian relief operations in response to almost every major conflict and natural disaster across the world. For instance, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) – which takes the lead in coordinating the humanitarian response to emergencies – has a presence in 43 countries, supporting 22 major humanitarian operations.

4.5 Million People:

The largest current humanitarian effort is in Darfur, where 85 NGOs and Red Cross / Red Crescent Movement agencies and 16 UN agencies (totaling 16,366 aid workers. 94% of whom are Sudanese nationals) work to provide assistance to 4.7 million conflict-affected people.

[Statistics updated as of November 4th, 2008]

58 Humanitarian Operations, 214,654 Aid Workers (broadly construed):

There are ongoing humanitarian operations in approximately 58 countries, 40 of which are in Africa. (Statistics derived from ReliefWeb list of countries and emergencies.) One study estimated that there were a total of 214,654 aid workers as of 2005. The vast majority of these are national staff.

There are a number of other UN agencies active in humanitarian work, including UNHCR, UNICEF, and the World Food Program, as well as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Estimates for the number of international non-governmental agencies (INGOs) vary widely, from 5,500 to 37,000.

$9 Billion:

The total amount spent on humanitarian assistance by the twenty-two major donors that comprise the OECD Development Assistance Committee was approximately $9 billion in 2006.

9% of Development Funding Goes to Humanitarian Programs:

This $9 billion represents slightly less than 9% of the $102 billion in total Overseas Development Assistance spent by the OECD DAC donors that year.

The largest humanitarian donors in absolute terms in 2006 were the US ($3 billion), the EC ($1.2 billion), the UK ($1.1 billion), Germany ($594 million) and the Netherlands ($537 million).

Percentage-wise, Luxembourg allocated 15% of its total ODA to humanitarian assistance. Finland, Norway and the US each allocated 13%, while Sweden, Switzerland and Ireland allocated 12%. At the other end of the spectrum, France and Japan each allocated only around 2% of total ODA for humanitarian funding.

For a detailed analysis of humanitarian spending, see here.

Main Recipients of Humanitarian Funding

Overall, Sudan received 18% of all humanitarian funding ($1.2 billion) in 2007-2008, making it the largest recipient of humanitarian assistance. The West Bank and Gaza / Occupied Palestinian Territory received 10% ($701 million), followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo ($374 million), Pakistan ($370 million), Indonesia ($367 million), Lebanon ($346 million) and Ethiopia ($314 million).

434 aid workers killed between 1997 and 2005:

There was a 92% increase in the number of violent attacks against aid workers from 1997 to 2005. A total of 947 aid workers were victims of these attacks, including 434 who were killed. The vast majority of victims (78%) were national staff. The most deadly year on record was 2003, with 86 aid worker fatalities. (A year-by-year comparison of attacks against aid workers is available here.)

84 aid workers killed in Afghanistan, Somalia, Darfur, and Chad this year

Since January, 36 aid workers have been killed in Somalia, in addition to 33 aid workers killed in Afghanistan, 11 in Darfur and 4 in Chad.

[Statistics for Somalia taken from the Somalia NGO Safety and Preparedness Program report no. 52/08, current through December 23rd.  Another aid worker was then killed in Somalia on December 13th.  Statistics for Afghanistan include one aid worker killed on October 20th, one on November 26th and another on November 30th.]

Over the last three years, aid workers have also been killed in the Central African Republic, Iraq, Lebanon, South Sudan, and Sri Lanka.

40% of aid workers at high risk of burn-out

According to statistics gathered for an InterAction Forum on staff wellness in 2005, between 5-10% of aid workers in dangerous situations suffer diagnosable PTSD, while another 20% suffer partial PTSD. In addition, 10-15% show symptoms of elevated levels of depression, 10-17% show symptoms of elevated anxiety, and 30-50% feel moderate to severe levels of emotional distress. Overall, 40% are at a high risk of burn-out. (All statistics available here.)

This, in turn, helps contribute to increasing levels of staff turn-over.

[Photo of refugee camp in Somalia from MSF]