Today, an estimated 266 million people face acute food insecurity, while 13 major hunger hotspots are at risk of further deterioration in the months ahead.

Yet humanitarian funding has fallen by roughly 59% compared with 2022 levels, forcing agencies to scale back critical programs including food assistance, health care and protection services. Millions of people are being left without the support they need to survive.

Sudan: The World’s Most Severe Hunger Crisis

Nowhere is the intersection of conflict and hunger more evident than in Sudan. The country remains the world’s most severe hunger emergency, with famine risks continuing in Darfur and other regions.

In June, escalating violence in Blue Nile State coincided with the onset of the rainy season, displacing more than 200,000 people and creating critical shortages of food, clean water, shelter and medicine. The combination of armed conflict and seasonal weather is accelerating displacement while increasing the risk of disease outbreaks.

Across the broader Sahel region, conflict, climate shocks and economic instability have pushed more than 24 million people into urgent humanitarian need. Families already struggling with insecurity are facing repeated climate-related setbacks that make recovery increasingly difficult.

Gaza and Myanmar: Humanitarian Systems Under Strain

In Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the humanitarian situation remains fragile and continues to deteriorate. Ongoing insecurity, severe water shortages, growing waste accumulation, widespread displacement and overcrowding are straining already fragile systems. Access constraints and shrinking financial resources are making it increasingly difficult for humanitarian organizations to reach those most in need.

Meanwhile, Myanmar’s humanitarian crisis continues to deepen after five years of conflict. Civilian casualties from airstrikes persist, local humanitarian networks are under immense pressure and reductions in international funding are further limiting lifesaving assistance. In many communities, shrinking aid resources and escalating conflict are contributing to the breakdown of local support systems.

A World Facing Record Levels of Conflict

Beyond these headline crises, humanitarian needs continue to grow across numerous conflict zones. More than 60 active armed conflicts are currently ongoing worldwide, the highest level seen in decades.

In Ukraine, civilians continue to bear the burden of a prolonged war. Haiti faces escalating gang violence and displacement, while communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo and throughout the Sahel continue to experience insecurity, hunger and mass displacement. These emergencies may receive different levels of global attention, but each represents lives disrupted and communities struggling to endure.

Climate Disasters Compound Vulnerability

As conflicts continue, climate-related disasters are creating new humanitarian emergencies and worsening existing ones.

In late June, two major earthquakes struck Venezuela, measuring between 7.1 and 7.5 magnitude. Hundreds of deaths were reported, infrastructure suffered widespread damage and millions of people may have been affected. International search-and-rescue teams mobilized rapidly to support response efforts.

Flooding also caused significant impacts across multiple regions. Eastern Syria experienced some of its worst flooding in decades, damaging homes, farmland and camps housing internally displaced people. Heavy rainfall across West Africa and South Africa increased flood risks and threatened already vulnerable populations.

Europe faced a different climate challenge as record-breaking heat swept across the continent. The United Kingdom recorded its hottest day on record twice during the month, and multiple heat-related fatalities were reported.

At the same time, persistent drought conditions in East Africa, including Somalia, continue to worsen food insecurity. Crop failures, declining water supplies and increased migration pressures are affecting millions of people whose livelihoods depend on predictable weather patterns.

Hunger and Health Risks Continue to Grow

The cumulative effects of conflict, climate shocks and funding shortages are driving a worsening hunger crisis.

The World Food Programme has warned that conflict-related disruptions to shipping and energy markets are contributing to higher food prices and limiting access to food for vulnerable populations. Countries including Afghanistan, Somalia and parts of the Middle East are experiencing growing food insecurity as conflict, climate impacts and reduced humanitarian assistance converge.

Looking ahead, anticipated El Niño conditions later in 2026 could intensify extreme weather patterns, potentially placing additional pressure on food systems and vulnerable communities around the world.

Health threats are also increasing. Ebola outbreaks continue in parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, while displacement, flooding and limited access to health care create conditions that can accelerate the spread of disease.

Hope Amid Growing Challenges

The humanitarian landscape in June 2026 illustrates the complex reality facing communities around the world. Conflicts are becoming longer and more complex. Climate shocks are growing more frequent and severe. Hunger and disease continue to threaten millions. And humanitarian organizations face the difficult challenge of responding amid shrinking resources.

Yet even in these circumstances, local communities, faith-based organizations and humanitarian partners continue to respond with resilience, compassion and determination. As Lutheran Disaster Response accompanies communities affected by disaster and conflict, we remain committed to supporting efforts that save lives, restore dignity and strengthen hope in the midst of crisis.

The challenges are immense, but so too is the calling to stand alongside our neighbors when they need it most.

Supporting Communities Through Lutheran Disaster Response

In the face of these compounding emergencies, Lutheran Disaster Response continues to walk alongside communities as they respond to immediate needs and rebuild with dignity and hope. Through trusted international partners, LDR supports emergency relief, recovery, and long-term resilience efforts, addressing food security, shelter, livelihoods, psychosocial support, and disaster preparedness.

Supporting Lutheran Disaster Response enables timely, locally led responses that prioritize the most vulnerable and strengthen communities against future crises. As climate impacts intensify and conflicts persist, sustained solidarity and partnership are essential. Together, we can help ensure affected communities are not only supported in times of crisis, but also empowered to recover, rebuild, and thrive. Learn more about how to support the work of LDR here.

Today, that calling feels especially urgent.

The world is witnessing the highest level of displacement on record, driven by conflict, violence, persecution, and disasters. From Ukraine to Sudan, from Myanmar to Central and South America, families continue to make impossible journeys in search of safety. According to the 1951 Refugee Convention, a refugee is someone who has been forced to leave their home country due to a well-founded fear of persecution, violence, or serious human rights violations and cannot safely return.

Behind that definition are real parents, children, and elders, each carrying a story of loss but also remarkable courage.

A Faith Grounded in Solidarity

As siblings in Christ, we are called not only to recognize these realities but to respond. We are called to bear witness to injustice and to advocate for a world that reflects the dignity of all God’s children.

For more than 50 years, Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) has lived out that calling. Through long-term accompaniment, LDR walks with communities affected by disaster and conflict, supporting those displaced by war, those in need of healthcare in fragile settings, and those facing ongoing humanitarian crises.

Our work is rooted in relationship. It is about showing up, again and again, with compassion, with resources, and with a commitment to justice.

When we come together as a church, we can do far more than we ever could alone.

Why World Refugee Day Matters Now

World Refugee Day is more than a moment of recognition. It is about responsibility.

It is an invitation to act.

In 2026, the need is profound. Ongoing crises continue to displace millions, and climate-related disasters are increasingly forcing people from their homes. Refugees often face barriers to education, healthcare, and employment, even as they seek to rebuild their lives with safety, dignity, and hope.

This day reminds us that responding to displacement is not just a humanitarian concern.

It is a shared moral responsibility.

Three Ways to Take Action

Even in the face of immense challenges, World Refugee Day centers on hope. It lifts up the courage of those who have been displaced and calls on the global community to stand in solidarity with them.

This World Refugee Day, you are invited to join Lutherans across the country in supporting refugees and migrants:

•  Learn
  Deepen your understanding of refugee experiences. Engage with ELCA resources like Bible studies and conversation guides that explore migration through the lens of faith and justice.
• Advocate
  Use your voice to call for just policies. Through the ELCA Advocacy Network and Action Center, you can urge your elected leaders to defend the rights and dignity of refugees and migrants.
• Give
  Your generosity provides tangible hope. Gifts to Lutheran Disaster Response support programs serving displaced communities around the world, including those impacted by conflicts in Ukraine, Sudan, Gaza and the West Bank, Myanmar, and across the Americas.

A Shared Commitment

World Refugee Day reminds us that even in the face of immense suffering, there is also profound resilience. Refugees contribute to their communities, rebuild their lives, and embody hope in extraordinary ways.

As people of faith, we are called to stand with them.

This June 20, let us renew our commitment to welcome the stranger, advocate for justice, and accompany our neighbors in love. Together, we can work toward a world where every person has a safe place to call home.

Thank you for your partnership in this life-giving work.

Supporting Communities Through Lutheran Disaster Response

In the face of these compounding emergencies, Lutheran Disaster Response continues to walk alongside communities as they respond to immediate needs and rebuild with dignity and hope. Through trusted international partners, LDR supports emergency relief, recovery, and long-term resilience efforts, addressing food security, shelter, livelihoods, psychosocial support, and disaster preparedness.

Supporting Lutheran Disaster Response enables timely, locally led responses that prioritize the most vulnerable and strengthen communities against future crises. As climate impacts intensify and conflicts persist, sustained solidarity and partnership are essential. Together, we can help ensure affected communities are not only supported in times of crisis, but also empowered to recover, rebuild, and thrive. Learn more about how to support the work of LDR here.

Supported by a coordinated humanitarian response through Lutheran Disaster Response, the ACT Alliance, and Lutheran World Federation, families and communities began the hard work of rebuilding—not just structures, but their sense of stability and dignity.

Restoring What Matters Most: Water

In Hman Taw Village, one of the most urgent needs after the earthquake was access to safe drinking water. Before the disaster, a single water point served a dozen families. When it was damaged, residents were forced to walk long distances, often making multiple trips each day just to meet basic needs.

A village water point undergoing rehabilitation | Photo Credit: LWF

But the community didn’t give up. With support from local partners and engineers, villagers came together to repair the system, this time making it more resilient by powering it with solar energy. Within just a month, clean water was flowing again.

“Now, with clean water so close to home, we no longer worry,” shared Daw Khin San Nwe.

What was once a symbol of disruption has become a powerful reminder of what communities can achieve together.

Rebuilding Homes, Restoring Dignity

For many families, the earthquake deepened already fragile circumstances. In Bone Oe Village, Daw Mi Ma Ma, a grandmother raising three grandchildren, faced overwhelming challenges when her home was severely damaged. Her small income from selling fish was barely enough to cover daily needs, let alone repairs.

Left: Daw Mi Ma Ma’s house after the March earthquake. Right: Daw Mi Ma Ma standing in front of her home after its renovation with support from the project. | Photo Credit: LWR

Through emergency support, she first received essential household supplies, followed by cash assistance to rebuild her home. That support changed everything.

“The project’s support brought back safety and dignity,” she said.

Today, with her home restored, she can focus again on caring for her grandchildren and planning for their future.

The Power of Flexible Support

In times of crisis, flexibility can mean survival. In Sagaing, Daw Thida Myint was injured during the earthquake and had no reliable source of support. Emergency cash assistance allowed her to buy food and cover medical expenses when it mattered most.

An earthquake-affected resident, Daw Thida Myint, 60yrs, person with disability receives emergency cash assistance for food in Ywar Htaung, Sagaing Region. | Photo Credit: LWF

Rather than a one-size-fits-all solution, this approach empowered her to make decisions based on her family’s immediate needs, preventing them from slipping into extreme hardship.

Her story highlights an important truth: when people are trusted to prioritize their own recovery, it restores both stability and dignity.

Starting Over: Livelihoods Reimagined

Recovery doesn’t stop at meeting basic needs. It also means rebuilding a way forward.

In Nay Pyi Taw, U Myint Zaw lost both his home and his job in the earthquake. With targeted support, he chose to invest in raising piglets as a new livelihood. What started as a modest step has grown into a renewed sense of purpose and hope for his family.

Similarly, Daw Aye Aye Thin turned to pig farming after losing her home and seeing her son leave school to work.

“This support gave me the strength to start again,” she said.

These small enterprises represent more than income. They’re pathways to independence and resilience.

Healing Beyond the Physical

The impact of the earthquake wasn’t only physical. Emotional healing, especially for children, has been an essential part of recovery.

Left: Children aged 11–15 writing stories and sharing them with peers. Center: Children aged 5–10 playing with toys in a safe space. Right: A 9-year-old child drawing a picture and proudly showing it to the project’s Safe Space facilitator in a Safe Space in Sagaing Region | Photo Credit: LWF

In Sagaing, safe spaces were created where young people could play, learn, and process their experiences. Through art, storytelling, and group activities, children who once lived in fear are rediscovering joy and security.

“Now, I feel happy… I feel safe,” shared one 14-year-old participant.

These spaces are helping rebuild not just lives, but futures.

A Long Road Forward, Together

The journey to recovery in Myanmar is far from over. But each repaired water system, rebuilt home, renewed livelihood, and smiling child reflects something powerful: hope is rising again.

These stories remind us that even after profound loss, communities can come together to rebuild stronger than before, especially when supported by compassion, partnership, and shared determination.

In the face of disaster, resilience shines brightest.

Supporting Communities Through Lutheran Disaster Response

In the face of these compounding emergencies, Lutheran Disaster Response continues to walk alongside communities as they respond to immediate needs and rebuild with dignity and hope. Through trusted international partners, LDR supports emergency relief, recovery, and long-term resilience efforts, addressing food security, shelter, livelihoods, psychosocial support, and disaster preparedness.

Supporting Lutheran Disaster Response enables timely, locally led responses that prioritize the most vulnerable and strengthen communities against future crises. As climate impacts intensify and conflicts persist, sustained solidarity and partnership are essential. Together, we can help ensure affected communities are not only supported in times of crisis, but also empowered to recover, rebuild, and thrive. Learn more about how to support the work of LDR here.

At Lutheran Disaster Response, we are witnessing how these interconnected challenges are reshaping the humanitarian landscape and deepening the urgency of our shared response.

When Climate and Crisis Collide

In many parts of the world, climate-related disasters are no longer isolated events. Instead, they are part of increasingly volatile cycles that leave communities struggling to recover before the next emergency hits.

In East Africa, prolonged drought has been followed by devastating floods, displacing tens of thousands of people and destroying livelihoods. In Somalia alone, repeated failed rainy seasons have forced tens of thousands from their homes, leaving families without reliable food sources or income.

Meanwhile, across the Asia-Pacific region, communities are bracing for more frequent and intense disasters, from cyclones to heatwaves. In early April, Tropical Cyclone Vaianu swept across Fiji, bringing heavy rains, strong winds, and widespread flooding that disrupted already vulnerable communities.

These events are not only immediate emergencies; they are long-term disruptors that weaken food systems, damage infrastructure, and increase the need for sustained humanitarian support.

Conflict Driving Humanitarian Need

While climate disasters are intensifying, ongoing conflicts continue to displace millions and devastate communities.

In Sudan, now entering its fourth year of conflict, the scale of the crisis is staggering. An estimated 34 million people—more than 65% of the population—require humanitarian assistance, with famine conditions emerging in several regions. Violence continues to target civilians, healthcare systems, and critical aid operations, making it even harder to reach those in need.

In Yemen, one of the world’s longest-running humanitarian crises persists, with more than 21 million people in need of assistance. Economic decline and funding shortfalls are worsening hunger and increasing the risk of disease.

In Gaza and the West Bank, ongoing instability, movement restrictions, and damage to essential infrastructure are forcing families from their homes and limiting access to basic services. Similarly, Ukraine continues to face sustained attacks that damage infrastructure and leave millions in need of urgent support.

Across these contexts, and in places like South Sudan, Lebanon, and Haiti, conflict continues to uproot families, disrupt essential services, and erode hope for recovery.

Hunger and Displacement on the Rise

The combined effects of conflict, climate shocks, and economic instability are fueling a global hunger crisis. Today, an estimated 266 million people across 47 countries are experiencing acute food insecurity.

At the same time, displacement is becoming increasingly protracted. Families forced to flee their homes are often unable to return, living for years in uncertainty and vulnerability. Many lack access to consistent food, clean water, healthcare, and protection from violence.

Children are especially at risk, facing interrupted education, trauma, and heightened exposure to exploitation and abuse.

A Growing Gap Between Needs and Resources

Even as needs surge, humanitarian organizations are facing significant funding shortfalls. In 2025, funding for food assistance alone declined by nearly 40 percent, limiting the global community’s ability to respond effectively.

This growing gap means that critical programs, feeding families, rebuilding homes, protecting vulnerable populations—are under strain at a moment when they are needed most.

Our Call to Action

In the face of these complex and overlapping crises, hope lies in collective action.

Lutheran Disaster Response remains committed to walking alongside communities impacted by disaster and conflict, providing immediate relief while supporting long-term recovery. Whether responding to floods in East Africa, supporting families displaced by conflict, or addressing hunger and livelihoods, our work is rooted in compassion, dignity, and collaboration.

But the scale of today’s challenges requires more than any one organization can provide. It calls for sustained global attention, increased funding, and a renewed commitment to addressing both immediate needs and the root causes of vulnerability.

Together, we can respond to today’s crises and help build a more resilient future for communities around the world.

In the face of these compounding emergencies, Lutheran Disaster Response continues to walk alongside communities as they respond to immediate needs and rebuild with dignity and hope. Through trusted international partners, LDR supports emergency relief, recovery, and long-term resilience efforts, addressing food security, shelter, livelihoods, psychosocial support, and disaster preparedness.

Supporting Lutheran Disaster Response enables timely, locally led responses that prioritize the most vulnerable and strengthen communities against future crises. As climate impacts intensify and conflicts persist, sustained solidarity and partnership are essential. Together, we can help ensure affected communities are not only supported in times of crisis, but also empowered to recover, rebuild, and thrive. Learn more about how to support the work of LDR here.