2017 Year In Review

2017 was unprecedented in terms of the scale of events that affected millions of people

January: Record number of people in need

At the beginning of 2017, more than 128 million people needed humanitarian assistance in 33 countries. OCHA appealed for US$22.2 billion – the largest humanitarian appeal ever launched.

The Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC), then Stephen O’Brien, warned: “The scale of humanitarian crises today is greater than at any time since the United Nations was founded. Not in living memory have so many people needed our support and solidarity to survive and live in safety and dignity.”

By midyear, this had increased to some 145 million people, which means that as needs rise, so does the amount of money needed to help people. Throughout the year, humanitarian agencies reached tens of millions of people and saved millions of lives.

OCHA on Exposure: 2017 Year in review