Policy Updates

On February 6, 2026, the EU allocated EUR123.3 million (US$147 million) in humanitarian aid for Latin America and the Caribbean to deliver life-saving assistance to vulnerable populations and bolster disaster preparedness and response in a region where 15.6 million people required humanitarian assistance in 2025.

The EU directed:

• EUR52 million (US$62 million) to provide relief to Venezuelan people in need throughout the region and host communities;
• EUR23 million (US$27 million) to address the humanitarian impact of escalating armed violence in Haiti;
• EUR17 million (US$20 million) to support people affected by armed conflict and displacement in border areas in Colombia;
• EUR16.3 million (US$19 million) for disaster preparedness and humanitarian crisis response across South America;
• EUR11 million (US$13 million) for vulnerable people affected by violence, forced displacement, and food insecurity in Central America and Mexico; and
• EUR4 million (US$5 million) for the Caribbean with focus on Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and countries hosting refugees and asylum seekers.

The EU emphasized the critical importance of the aid as severe budget cuts reduced the UN 2026 target by half.

On January 30, 2026, the European Commission announced EUR63 million (US$75 million) in humanitarian aid to support populations affected by the armed conflict in Myanmar and nearly 1.2 million Rohingya refugees in neighboring countries, particularly Bangladesh, as part of the initial 2026 allocation for South and Southeast Asia.

The European Commission directed EUR38.6 million (US$46 million) to Myanmar for food assistance and emergency nutrition, shelter for forcibly displaced people, access to clean water and sanitation, healthcare in conflict-affected and hard-to-reach areas, mine risk education and assistance for landmine victims, and education in emergencies. The funding addresses high levels of food insecurity as the conflict triggered by the military coup reaches its fifth year.

For Bangladesh to support Rohingya refugees living mostly in Cox's Bazar and host communities, the European Commission earmarked EUR23.4 million (US$28 million) to support food assistance and nutrition, maintenance of camp shelters and facilities, and essential services including healthcare, emergency education, and access to water and sanitation. An additional EUR1 million (US$1 million) will provide life-saving aid to refugees and host communities in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. The EU channeled all humanitarian funding through partner organizations including international NGOs and UN agencies.

The European Commission announced EUR171 million (US$203 million) in support for infrastructure development and private sector growth across the Western Balkans on January 27, 2026, including projects in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and North Macedonia.

The support package includes contributions from the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance, the Western Balkans Investment Framework bilateral donors, and the Reform and Growth Facility.

The package will allocate nearly EUR95 million (US$113 million) for infrastructure investments and technical assistance. The funding is expected to mobilize EUR263 million (US$313 million) in total investments across seven projects in digital, clean energy, human capital, transport, and environment sectors. Infrastructure projects include broadband infrastructure rollout in Albania, improvement of the electricity transmission system in North Macedonia, construction and energy-efficient renovation of education facilities in North Macedonia and Montenegro, electrification of the Durres-Tirana Railway line in Albania, and drinking water and wastewater treatment improvements in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Furthermore, technical assistance projects in Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina are aimed at supporting future investments in energy, water, innovation, and research.

For the private sector, the package includes EUR76 million (US$91 million) for initiatives including the Western Balkans Forward Program, SME Go Green Program, the Western Balkans Opportunities by Non-traditional Debt pilot program, and strengthening public-private partnership capacities and governance in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

On January 21, 2026,the European Commission announced its initial EUR1.9 billion (US$2.3 billion) humanitarian aid budget for 2026.

The initial EUR1.9 billion (US$2.3 billion) allocation includes:

• EUR557 million (US$663 million) to West and Central Africa, the Sahel, the Lake Chad basin, North-West Nigeria, Central Africa, Southern Africa, the Great Lakes region, and the Greater Horn of Africa;
• EUR448 million (US$533 million) to the Middle East, particularly Gaza, as well as Iraq, Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon;
• EUR145 million (US$173 million) to humanitarian needs in Ukraine and an additional EUR8 million (US$10 million) for humanitarian projects in Moldova;
• EUR126 million (US$150 million) to address humanitarian needs in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran;
• EUR95 million (US$113 million) to Central and South America and the Caribbean;
• EUR73 million (US$87 million) to support Southeast Asia and the Pacific, particularly for the Myanmar crisis and its impact in Bangladesh;
• EUR15 million (US$17 million) to North Africa.

Additionally, more than EUR415 million (US$494 million) is reserved for responding to sudden-onset emergencies worldwide and maintaining a strategic supply chain.

On Decembr 2, 2025, donors pledged US$1.2 billion at the annual UNHCR Pledging Conference in Geneva for 2026 operations, slightly above the 2025 pledge and covering nearly 18% of UNHCR's projected funding needs.

UNHCR's National Partners committed an additional US$350 million from private sector fundraising, bringing total pledges to US$1.5 billion. Several governments confirmed multi-year contributions extending into 2027 and beyond to strengthen UNHCR's long-term planning.

UNHCR Comissioner Filippo Grandi stated that early and flexible funding provided a lifeline to respond quickly to new emergencies and deliver solutions in neglected crises. Top government contributors included Denmark, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, and Norway, with substantially increased contributions from Ireland, Luxembourg, and Iceland. The European Union confirmed significant funding already committed for 2026, while Austria and Spain joined the group of governments pledging support to UNHCR.

Unearmarked funding pledged dropped to 17% of total pledges, nearly half of 2023 levels, while earmarked funding for specific countries and activities increased. Norway, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, and Ireland pledged the largest amounts of unearmarked funding.

The European Commission announced EUR143 million (US$166 million) in humanitarian support on November 24, 2025, as EU and AU leaders met for the 7^th African Union-European Union summit in Angola, responding to continued pressure on relief operations across several crisis zones.

The allocation includes EUR2.5 million (US$3 million) for the Central African Republic, EUR8 million (US$9 million) for Nigeria, EUR30 million (US$35 million) for Ethiopia, EUR30 million (US$35 million) for Somalia, EUR35 million (US$41 million) for South Sudan, and EUR38 million (US$44 million) for the Central Sahel countries.

The emergency funding will support food assistance, water and sanitation, access to healthcare, and helped the most vulnerable communities meet their basic needs.

Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib stated that the EU is stepping up at a moment when global attention has shifted and humanitarian needs remain high, demonstrating continued engagement in places where pressure is rising and support remains essential.

A year-long campaign led by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has secured EUR15.5 billion (US$18.0 billion) to mobilize investments in renewable energy across Africa, along with additional commitments in clean energy generation and household electricity access, announced on November 21, 2025.

The EU led the pledging effort with more than EUR15.1 billion (US$17.5 billion), including contributions from multiple EU member states including Germany, France, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Austria, and Ireland, as well as significant bilateral contributions by European financial institutions and development finance institutions, and estimated mobilized private investment. Alongside the campaign, the African Development Bank has pledged to allocate at least 20% of their 17th replenishment to renewable energy.

The campaign, organized in collaboration with Global Citizen and with policy support from the IEA, aimed to drive public and private investment in supporting Africa's clean energy transition, expand electricity access, and promote sustainable economic growth and decarbonized industrialization. The effort represented a step toward accelerating the global transition from fossil fuels to clean and sustainable energy.

Von der Leyen stated that the investment would turbocharge Africa's clean-energy transition, providing millions more people with electricity access and creating opportunities for thriving markets, new jobs, and reliable clean energy.

The EU released EUR21.5 million (US$25 million) in humanitarian aid on November 3, 2026, to address the crisis in Venezuela and respond to Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean, with Commissioner for Preparedness, Crisis Management and Equality Hadja Lahbib emphasizing support for vulnerable populations facing food insecurity, gang violence, and natural disasters.

The EU allocated EUR14.5 million (US$17 million) to address the Venezuela crisis, including spillover effects in neighboring countries such as Colombia. Priority areas included protection, healthcare, and nutrition assistance for Venezuelans inside and outside the country.

Furthermore, EUR5 million (US$6 million) has been allocated for the emergency response to Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti. EU humanitarian partners have delivered drinking water, sanitation items, and emergency shelter, while the EU prepared humanitarian airbridge flights and deployed relief stocks through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Also channeled through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and Germany have donated relief supplies including shelters, water and sanitation equipment, protective equipment, and energy support.

The EU earmarked EUR2 million (US$2 million) for people affected by rising gang violence in Haiti, where displaced populations have reached record levels. The earmarked funding has supported food assistance and other forms of support to displaced communities.

The allocation added to EUR149 million (US$170 million) the EU provided to Latin America and the Caribbean in 2025, which speaks to the wider ambition of the upcoming EU-CELAC Summit.

On September 15, 2025, a UN Women report revealed that progress on women's rights is stagnating and regressing due to conflict, aid cuts, and a backlash against gender equality, and called on governments at the UN General Assembly in New York to commit to renewed action, highlighting that the US$420 billion needed annually to advance gender equality is a fraction of the US$2.7 trillion spent on the military.

The report, a gender snapshot monitoring progress on the SDGs, found that 676 million women and girls lived near deadly conflict in 2024, the highest number since the 1990s. Women are also more likely to be affected by rising food insecurity. The report projects that climate change could push an additional 158.3 million women and girls into extreme poverty by 2050.

Director of UN Women’s policy division, Sarah Hendriks, contrasted the US$2.7 trillion in annual military spending with the estimated US$420 billion needed to advance gender equality. The report also noted a digital gender divide, which if addressed, could lift 30 million women and girls out of poverty by 2050 and generate a US$1.5 trillion increase in global GDP by 2030. UN Women is calling for renewed commitments at the UN General Assembly, 30 years after the Beijing Declaration.

On September 8, 2025, at the Second Africa Climate Summit in Addis Ababa, the AU, EU, and Germany launched two flagship energy programmes, CEPA and ENGAGE, to accelerate the implementation of the African Single Electricity Market, backed by the EU's US$174.9 billion Global Gateway investment package.

The programmes aim to advance the AfSEM and the CMP. These initiatives are key components of the AU's Agenda 2063 and are designed to create a fully integrated, cross-border electricity market, targeting the creation of the world's largest interconnected power market by 2040.

The launch celebrated 25 years of the AU-:abbrEU partnership. Speakers including Dr. Kamugisha Kazaura for the AU, Her Excellency Nardos Bekele Thomas of AUDA-NEPAD, Her Excellency Teresa Ribera for the European Commission, and Dr. Bärbel Kofler for Germany's BMZ, all highlighted the programmes' role in attracting investment to deliver reliable, affordable, and clean energy. Over 600 million people in Africa currently lack access to electricity.