As the scope of humanitarian crises continues to expand worldwide, World Humanitarian Day serves as a reminder that behind the statistics of wars and disasters are millions of people struggling to obtain the basic necessities of life. In 2026, approximately 239 million people need urgent humanitarian assistance, amid the overlapping impacts of armed conflicts, natural disasters, climate change, poverty, displacement, and food insecurity. The United Nations indicates that conflicts remain the primary drivers of deaths, displacement, and hunger, while climate change is increasing the severity of disasters and their impact on the most vulnerable communities.
Humanitarian Action under Increasing Threat Due to Wars
Developing countries bear a significant share of these consequences, as impoverished communities face overlapping crises that undermine their ability to cope. War can destroy homes, hospitals, and schools, while natural disasters can devastate water and food supplies and sources of livelihood. At the same time, humanitarian work itself faces unprecedented challenges. In 2025, 907 humanitarian workers around the world were killed, injured, or kidnapped, including 350 who were killed—the highest level ever recorded according to humanitarian worker security data.
Emergency Relief: A Fundamental Pillar of Humanitarian Action
Against this backdrop, Life for Relief and Development continues its humanitarian mission, which began more than three decades ago. It has evolved from a relief initiative into a global humanitarian organization operating in more than 60 countries through 14 international offices. According to the organization’s data, it has provided more than $666 million in humanitarian assistance since its establishment.
Life’s response is not limited to emergency assistance. It extends to food, water, shelter, healthcare, education, orphan sponsorship, and community development. The organization’s approach is based on rapid response during disasters while investing in projects capable of creating long-term impact, including drilling water wells, building schools and health centers, and supporting communities affected by poverty or displacement.
Gaza: A Global Call to Protect Human Dignity
Gaza has emerged as one of the largest areas of humanitarian response for the organization in recent years. Life has been working in Gaza since 2004 and expanded its response during the war to include food, water, medical assistance, shelter, education, and orphan support. According to the organization, its efforts have included distributing hundreds of thousands of meals, food baskets, and bags of flour; providing thousands of winter tents; establishing shelters; installing water and sanitation systems; and implementing programs for children. In May 2025, Life also received the Dubai International Humanitarian Award in recognition of its efforts to shelter more than 20,000 displaced people in Gaza.
Life for Relief and Development Operates in 61 Countries through Key Projects Supporting Humanitarian Action
Orphan Sponsorship
Life sponsors orphans in 22 countries through various development projects, most notably orphan sponsorship programs that provide food, clothing, education, healthcare, and monthly assistance. The organization has also held international celebrations for orphans and their families, providing ready-made meals, gifts, and toys, helping meet their basic needs, protect them from harsh conditions, support their continued education, and provide a safer and more stable environment in which to build a better future.
Education Projects
Life has played a key role in supporting education and enabling students to return to school in 45 countries through sustainable support that includes building schools and rehabilitating damaged facilities, equipping classrooms with furniture and educational supplies, providing books and school materials and university scholarships, as well as establishing training centers and training teachers.
The organization has also supported the education of refugee and displaced children and provided psychosocial support programs, including the Life Educational Academy in northern Syria. These efforts have helped provide a safe and inclusive learning environment while reducing school dropout, child labor, and child marriage.
Healthcare Projects
Life has supported hospitals and healthcare facilities in affected and developing countries by providing medicines, essential medical supplies, surgical equipment, diagnostic and critical-care equipment, various medications, and vaccines. It has also organized medical missions and provided eye and hearing care, supported cancer patients, pregnant women, children, older adults, and people with disabilities, and provided training for medical personnel.
These efforts have strengthened healthcare systems, expanded access to essential medical care for vulnerable populations, reduced shortages in medical supplies, and increased access to specialized healthcare services in displacement and refugee camps and across borders.
Support for Older Adults and Vulnerable Families
Life provides medical supplies, regular medical examinations, and healthcare services for nursing homes, in addition to food, clothing, blankets, clean water, shelter, and financial assistance. It also helps restore centers by providing essential items such as furniture, walking aids, and wheelchairs.
The organization provides psychosocial support through listening sessions, community activities, and recreational programs. It also works to promote the social inclusion of older adults and benefit from their experience, while supporting them in displacement camps.
Seasonal Projects to Support Food Security
Life’s seasonal initiatives aim to address food insecurity during Ramadan, Eid al-Adha, and other holidays. The organization has provided millions of meals and food baskets in 38 countries, as well as fresh meat, enabling families to access reliable sources of protein that may otherwise remain beyond their financial means throughout the year.
Its sustainable food assistance programs also support families experiencing persistent food shortages. These programs include vitamin-fortified rice for schools, hospitals, and displacement camps.
Providing Clean Water and Drilling Wells
Life focuses on clean-water projects to provide safe water sources in developing countries across 21 countries worldwide, reducing the daily burden on families who depend on contaminated or distant water sources.
Winter Projects
Before winter, Life works to provide heating equipment, firewood, heavy blankets, and winter clothing to people suffering from severe cold, particularly those living in displacement camps and areas experiencing extreme poverty.
Life for Relief and Development:
https://lifeusa.org/#social-media
