Conference primer: Humanitarian Affairs, Refugees and Migration: 2023

The invasion of Ukraine sparked a crisis in Europe, contributed to record levels of global displacement, and initiated an increase in food and energy costs that challenged people and economies still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The situation in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Syria and Yemen remained desperate for many, while worsening violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Haiti, a coup d’état in Burkina Faso and protests in Sudan deepened already stark humanitarian needs. Famine, caused by a once-in-a-generation drought, again loomed large in the Horn of Africa. And following an unprecedented heatwave, Pakistan experienced a cataclysmic monsoon that submerged one third of the country. Communities in the Sahel continued to toil between the violence caused by non-State armed groups and climate-related threats to livelihoods, and Nigeria experienced record flooding in June that killed hundreds of people and displaced millions across the country.
Martin Griffiths, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator

One of the largest humanitarian events of its kind, it gathers participants from the UN, NGOs, Member States, the private sector, the military, academia and beyond to discuss and solve common challenges in humanitarian affairs. During the event, networks and partnerships hold their annual meetings and consultations, share their expertise and collaborate on best practices to address shared problems.

This was made possible by the generous support of donors, who – despite an unprecedented level of humanitarian needs around the world – provided more than $2.2 billion in needed assistance. As a result, many of the most critical aid programmes were able to continue, and in some cases the worst needs declined. In parallel, a UN-brokered truce brought a glimpse of hope, leading to major decreases in civilian casualties and displacement.

While the Grand Bargain is a separate and independent process from the IASC, the official website is hosted by the IASC structure, and maintained by the Grand Bargain Secretariat.

In July 2022, two agreements were signed: one is the memorandum of understanding between the United Nations and the Russian Federation to facilitate the unimpeded access for their food and fertilizers exports to global markets. The second is the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI), signed by the Russian Federation, Türkiye, Ukraine, and witnessed by the United Nations to allow the safe export of grain, fertilizers and other foodstuff from Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea.

The report also looks at Covid-19 and its aftermath and its effects are addressed through all chapters. The report uses a social perspective and expands analysis on the social aspects of ageing—including its implications for poverty and inequality, healthcare and long-term care.