26/05/2026
On 20 May 2026, the CHH-Lancet Commission on Health, Conflict and Forced Displacement report, titled Health in a World of Crises and Impunity, was launched at the University of Geneva.
We are proud that Dr Munzer Alkhalil, a scholar at the David Nott Foundation, contributed to the Commission’s Governance and Localisation Working Groups as a NextGen Scholar, supporting discussions on aid localisation, locally led humanitarian action, legitimacy, and governance reform within humanitarian health responses.
The report highlights the widening gap between humanitarian health needs and humanitarian response and calls for a transformation of a system increasingly shaped by politics rather than need.
Key findings from the report include:
🔴 An estimated 239 million people will require humanitarian assistance in 2026, yet only 87 million are expected to receive it.
🔴 In many crisis settings, 70–90% of excess deaths result from the disruption of essential health services rather than direct violence.
🔴 A record 3,663 attacks on healthcare facilities were documented in 2024 – the highest ever.
🔴 Humanitarian financing is increasingly driven by national security and foreign policy interests rather than the needs of affected populations.
🔴 Just $23 billion would meet the world’s most urgent humanitarian needs — less than 1% of global military spending.
The Commission also outlines four urgent priorities for reform:
1. Invert the power — Communities should lead, while international actors must justify their presence.
2. End impunity — Attacks on healthcare must trigger consequences, not statements.
3. Fix the money — Humanitarian funding must follow need and align with local systems, not foreign policy interests.
4. Uphold health for all — Continuity of care must remain non-negotiable, especially in conflict settings.
Developed over two years by Commissioners, Next Generation scholars, the Advisory Committee, and partners worldwide, the report brings together research, lived experience, and policy recommendations to reimagine humanitarian health around equity, accountability, local leadership, and the right to health.
📖 Read the report in full: https://lnkd.in/eV8hZRS9
💡 More resources about the report: https://lnkd.in/e2v6VXxG
