It's time for a humanitarian efficiency revolution. Here's how

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) warns of a 'New World Disorder' where nearly 240 million people will need aid in 2026 despite global funding falling by more than half. To counter this, the IRC proposes a shift toward predictive analytics, parametric insurance, debt-for-climate swaps, and increased funding for fragile states.

• The global humanitarian landscape is entering a 'New World Disorder' characterized by increased risk and a diminished global capacity to manage it, with nearly 240 million people expected to require aid in 2026 while global funding has decreased by over 50%.
• Major bilateral donors are significantly reducing support; for example, USAID cancelled 83% of its humanitarian programmes in 2025, alongside cuts from the UK, France, and Germany.
• Predictive analytics using AI, satellite imagery, and climate models in Somalia and Nigeria can forecast floods and droughts, providing a return on investment up to 7:1 compared to reactive responses.
• The IRC proposes innovative financial mechanisms to support fragile states, including parametric insurance for rapid payouts based on triggers like seismic events or rainfall, and debt-for-climate and health swaps to redirect debt repayments into resilience infrastructure.
• There is a significant imbalance in aid distribution, as only 25% of global aid reaches fragile and conflict-affected states despite these areas hosting over 80% of humanitarian need; the IRC advocates for 60% of Official Development Assistance to be directed to fragile states.

APA

Miliband, D. (2026). It's time for a humanitarian efficiency revolution. Here's how. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/global-risks/humanitarian-efficiency-revolution-irc/

Chicago

Miliband, David. It's time for a humanitarian efficiency revolution. Here's how. World Economic Forum, 2026. https://www.weforum.org/stories/global-risks/humanitarian-efficiency-revolution-irc/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Miliband |first1=David |title=It's time for a humanitarian efficiency revolution. Here's how |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=19 January 2026 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/global-risks/humanitarian-efficiency-revolution-irc/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{miliband2026its, author = {Miliband, David}, title = {{It's time for a humanitarian efficiency revolution. Here's how}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2026}, month = jan, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/global-risks/humanitarian-efficiency-revolution-irc/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }