We estimate that humanitarian aid reached US$15.1 billion in 2009. This is down by 11% on our US$16.9 billion estimate for 2008.
These figures comprise contributions from governments and private contributions to ‘delivery agencies’ – UN agencies, NGOs and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
Government donors shape international humanitarian response. Current estimates put their contributions at US$11 billion in 2009 – that’s 11% lower than the US$12.8 billion in 2008 but stillsubstantially higher than previous years.
Our data suggests that private contributions to humanitarian delivery agencies have increased by about 50% since 2006 to reach at least US$4.1 billion in 2008.
The graph on global humanitarian assistance is revealing for what is included as well as for what is not. Not all contributions to humanitarian assistance are easy to locate, to understand, or to disaggregate from other spending. A wide variety of governments outside the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) provide financing – not all of this is captured. Nor does it include spending on security-related issues that certainly play a part in establishing a secure environment, including elements of peacekeeping, peacebuilding, demining and demobilisation. Domestic response, the response that has its origins in the affected country, and ranges from individuals and families through to national administrations and militaries, is also largely uncounted.
Source: Development Initiatives based on UN OCHA FTS, OECD DAC and data provided by delivery agencies
