Global Disaster Management Overview 2025
STANDING STRONG FOR CHILDREN: DELIVERING HOPE AND HUMANITY IN A TIME OF GROWING NEED
Message from Leadership
"Humanitarian action is a strategic investment in peace, global stability, and a testament to our shared humanity. The humanitarian mission to which many of us have dedicated our lives is navigating one of its most turbulent periods. Much of what we have built over decades feels at risk.
And yet, hope remains.
Our commitment to children is unwavering. Our focus on food and cash assistance aligns with our vision to eradicate hunger. Our deep local roots and global reach help us respond rapidly. Our partnerships with our donors, peers, faith and local partner networks enable us to deliver life-saving assistance in service of the world’s most vulnerable.
Together, we remain steadfast in our mission to build a world in which every child can thrive."
Isabel Gomes
Global Lead, Disaster Management
World Vision International
IMPACT HIGHLIGHTS
2025: ONE YEAR WITH YOUR HELP
A System Under Pressure
Humanitarian needs are surging, with over 239 million people requiring aid as conflict, climate shocks, and displacement intensify.
In 2025, 295 million faced food crises across 53 countries, while 1.4 million endured catastrophic hunger in Sudan, Gaza, Yemen, and beyond.
Funding gaps are widening—only $12B raised of $45.3B needed, forcing painful prioritisation and threatening core humanitarian principles.
As extreme weather and misinformation escalate risks, the sector faces its deadliest year for aid workers and a projected sharp funding contraction ahead.
IN 70 COUNTRIES
WE MANAGED 104 RESPONSES
21 NEW RESPONSE OPERATIONS
WERE LAUNCHED IN THE FACE OF EMERGING DISASTERS
In DRC, we reached 4.7 million people with humanitarian assistance
Our life-saving programmes in Central African Republic (CAR) reached 1.7 million children – that's one in every three people
In Malawi, we piloted emoji-based scorecards for children to let us know what they want to eat at school and later observed zero malnutrition cases and increased enrolment in our support community-based childcare centres.
In Latin America, we piloted a route-based cash assistance approach, recognising that people deserve aid that moves with them.
In Cambodia, our tested resilience programming guidelines enabled 900 households to benefit from integrated agriculture, nutrition and market access support, empowering families to rise above adversity.
SHARPENING OUR HUMANITARIAN REFLEX
We supported in flexible ways
We provided both short and long-term support
Technical assistance assignments provide expertise, guidance and training over a shortened timeframe.Deployments provide medium-term capacity in a specific role or position.
We provided significant support in East Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe, and Southern Africa
SURGE CAPACITY HIGHLIGHTS
614
vetted experts
34
functional and emerging technical areas
72
support requests processed
Protecting our workforce
Following a record-setting year of aid worker fatalities in 2024, humanitarian organisations like World Vision rallied support for the Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel, led by Australia and partners to safeguard humanitarian access and protect frontline personnel.
Revitalising surge capacity
We strengthened our 34 rosters containing 614 expert members, allowing us to launch rapid, world-class humanitarian responses, and reduced deployment processing times by 41%. We facilitated 72 requests for support, resulting in a cumulative 2,738 days of service.
Investing in people for sustainable change
Embedding expertise where it’s needed most is essential to high quality response. This year, we launched a structured mentoring approach, trained more than 140 staff in field offices on response management, supported 765 students through 35 e-/blended learning programmes, and launched Learning Central – our first global learning directory.
REIMAGINING OUR WORK THROUGH DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
Generative AI in Response Planning
Knowing that rapid context analysis is vital for start-up and decision-making, but is often slowed by the need to curate, consolidate, contextualise and analyse large amounts of information, World Vision experimented with Claude AI to connect real-world field input with third-party humanitarian sector data, resulting in the delivery of a solid context analysis within 60 minutes. Our human-in-the-loop approach is the result of iterative testing to reduce hallucinations and ensure a reasonable degree of accuracy.
Generative AI for Translation
World Vision’s commitment to locally-led responses resulted in a deep dive into the use of AI for translation – which is currently too costly to undertake widely, limiting our inclusion efforts. After a rigorous review of current offerings, World Vision is partnering with Microsoft and using their Azure AI Language Foundry to develop a long-term, accessible and cost-effective translation solutions for capacity sharing and technical guidance development.
Surge Central
We launched a custom application to centralise and digitize the management of surge requests, bringing together previously fragmented data to form a holistic overview of our expertise for emergency response. Leveraging our human resource information management system alongside a low code PowerApps solution, we have reduced request processing times by 41%, resulting in our experts getting where they need to be more quickly.
Last Mile Mobile Solution – Item Tracking System
We rolled out an enterprise-grade inventory management software to 23 field offices. This tool helps our field teams track progress and commodity movements in real-time, while strengthening our management of aid diversion risk. Looking ahead, planned enhancements to the system will make it even easier to share data with partners for smoother, more secure delivery.
wvrelief Response Portal
World Vision continued to invest in our digital platform to declare emergency responses, share breaking news, and report on our reach and impact in real-time.
ADVOCATING AND PARTNERING FOR GREATER IMPACT
Advocating for a hunger-free future
Amid rising needs and shrinking funds, World Vision’s ENOUGH campaign in FY25 championed a hunger-free future. Flagship reports like “Hunger, Harm, and Hard Choices", exposed the devastating impact of funding cuts and price hikes on displaced children. Through bold advocacy and digital outreach, millions were engaged, spotlighting neglected crises and driving donor action. From ECOSOC HAS to the Global School Meals Summit, we pushed child-centred solutions onto the global agenda.
Influencing the future of the Humanitarian System
World Vision coordinate and delivered a powerful joint NGO statement at the Global Humanitarian Overview launch, urging urgent, quality funding to avert catastrophic human costs. We raised the alarm in global forums on how conflict, climate shocks, and economic turmoil are driving millions into crisis. As the Humanitarian Reset began, we championed child-focused, people-centred reforms with peers and networks, shaping pooled funding recommendations. From IASC Principals to donor briefings, we influenced decisions at the highest levels to put children at the heart of humanitarian action.
Ensuring access, quality response, and effective coordination on the ground
World Vision tackled access barriers, funding gaps, and operational hurdles in crises from Ethiopia, Myanmar to Venezuela through high-level advocacy and donor briefings. At the UN General Assembly’s “Hunger in the Crossfire” event, WV CEO and President Andrew Morley spotlighted Sudan’s hunger crisis and our role in fighting famine amid conflict. We spearheaded a joint advocacy strategy with WFP and partners for Sudan and founded the Coalition against Conflict and Hunger. Using frontline evidence, this coalition is driving global action to protect lives in war-torn regions.
With partners by our side, we advocated for systemic reforms that put children first, secured flexible life-saving funding for humanitarian action, and delivered innovative solutions in the hardest-hit regions. Together, we’re building a future where every child can thrive.
We’re grateful for the support and collaboration with our partners in the delivery of a one-billion-dollar portfolio.
INVESTING WISELY, DELIVERING BOLDLY
In FY25, we implemented more than $1 billion in humanitarian programmes. This included our largest operations in Ethiopia, DRC, Lebanon, Somalia, and South Sudan.
In the face of emerging disasters and rising need, we also strengthened our humanitarian portfolio in Sudan, Chad, Lebanon, Central African Republic, and Myanmar.
We are grateful to our donors for their continued trust and partnership in the face of shrinking traditional funding.
Our Donors
Though both our humanitarian and development spending have reduced in the last two years due to a challenging donor landscape, our humanitarian portfolio has grown to nearly half of our overall programming. Even in this context, we continued to deliver strong results, demonstrating both our resilience and our unwavering commitment to vulnerable communities.
Programme expenditure in USD millions
World Vision continues to be the World Food Programme’s largest implementing partner. Together, our strategic partnership allowed us to reach affected communities with a $639 million portfolio, with notably large operations in Lebanon, Chad, Sudan, and DRC.
Funding from other UN agencies remains critical for WV to respond to humanitarian needs. As such, we strengthened our collective partnership with UNOCHA and UNHCR by 4%, driven by programmes in Sudan and Ethiopia.
For the third year in a row, we exceeded our forecast UN humanitarian acquisitions due to increased need, strategic fragile context alignment, and a track record of high performance and quality implementation.
FOCUS ON THE FIELD:
INNOVATION SPOTLIGHTS
Routes of Hope: A Cross-Border Lifeline for Venezuelan Families in Transit
When borders blur, aid must adapt. World Vision’s route-based approach offers cash, tech and trust to families navigating one of Latin America’s most complex migration crises.
From Plates to Policy: Why Listening to Children Is Revolutionising School Feeding Programmes
A pioneering approach in Malawi, Tanzania, CAR and Sri Lanka is proving that when children speak, school systems listen.
The Long Game: Why Investing in Resilience Is Saving Lives in Fragile Contexts
As humanitarian needs soar and funding tightens, World Vision’s new guidelines aim to turn short-term fixes into lasting solutions. Our Multi-year resilience programming is helping families withstand shocks, maintain food security and safeguard children’s futures.
Beyond Boxes: Reinventing Emergency Response for a Faster, Greener Future
World Vision has revolutionized emergency logistics - shifting from static stockpiles to a dynamic, virtual inventory system with strategic hubs worldwide. This future-ready model accelerates response, cuts costs and reduces environmental impact, ensuring aid reaches those in need faster. Every box we move, brings survival, dignity and hope.
Breaking the Silos: How a Unified Approach Is Transforming Child Wellbeing in Refugee Camps
World Vision’s LIFT programme is pioneering a life-cycle model that supports children, adolescents, and caregivers together—creating inclusive spaces for resilience and growth in Uganda and Türkiye.
From Ruins to Resilience: Building Weather-resistant School Shelter After Myanmar’s Earthquake
When classrooms collapsed, World Vision and local leaders raced against time to restore learning - and hope - for 120 children in Thiri Mingalar.
STRATEGIC PARTNERS
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STORIES OF IMPACT
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