The economic fallout from the conflict in the Middle East has become a major new threat to humanitarian aid efforts as Gulf nations that have grown to become major aid donors reprioritise, experts have warned.
Humanitarian groups are already reeling from sweeping cuts to foreign aid programmes from traditional aid donors like the US and UK, with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) targeting just $23bn (£17bn) in humanitarian funding this year, which is significantly down on the $37bn raised in 2024.
