Alleviating international conflicts and struggles
Germany has been a significant player in the global humanitarian aid landscape, providing priority support in various critical areas such as food security, healthcare, mine action and explosive ordnance disposal, water and sanitation, housing, and disaster risk reduction. The German government's efforts aim to provide access to medical, psychosocial, and legal assistance for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, and fund programs focused on the protection from such violence.
By the end of July 2025, a total of 889.3 million USD had been allocated to humanitarian projects. Since October 2023, around 335 million euros have been allocated specifically for the residents of the occupied Palestinian territories, with a focus on Gaza.
In Gaza, Germany resumed humanitarian airdrops in August 2025, utilizing Bundeswehr aircraft to deliver life-saving supplies to civilians amid a dramatic crisis. This method supplements but does not replace humanitarian aid delivery by road, which Germany is urging Israel to ensure for safe distribution by UN and international organizations.
Regarding Ukraine, Germany has committed approximately €34 billion in bilateral civilian aid and €40 billion in military assistance by mid-2025. The focus is on defense, winter relief, energy support, humanitarian aid, and mine clearance. Germany also supports Ukrainian refugees, with over 1.25 million hosted domestically, but faces criticism for planned cuts to development aid and refugee support amid budget shortfalls.
In Afghanistan, an additional €6 million (US$7 million) was allocated in August 2025 to address urgent humanitarian needs affecting over 23 million people, focusing on food and basic healthcare. This aid is channeled through established partners like the World Food Programme and NGOs, deliberately bypassing the Taliban authorities, with particular attention to women, children, returning Afghans, and border communities.
For Africa and other disaster-affected countries, Germany’s humanitarian budget has seen reductions recently, drawing criticism from aid groups about the potential negative impact on vulnerable communities globally. However, Germany continues to provide emergency relief and support through multilateral funding and partnerships.
Germany is one of the world's largest humanitarian aid donors, and in 2024, it became the second-largest donor in terms of humanitarian aid volume. The German government collaborates closely with the United Nations, including the World Food Programme, UNICEF, OCHA, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and numerous non-governmental organizations.
Moreover, Germany funds programs that engage in preventive work against sexual and gender-based violence. From 2022 to 2024, Germany provided 7 million euros in core funding to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for projects in sexual and reproductive health and prevention of sexual and gender-based violence.
Germany's humanitarian aid efforts aim to improve the protection of particularly vulnerable groups, especially women and girls. In addition to financial support, the German government also employs political tools to ensure safe access for humanitarian workers to crisis areas, adherence to international humanitarian law, and protection and support for particularly vulnerable populations.
In summary, Germany’s humanitarian efforts in 2025 prioritize urgent crisis response in Gaza and Ukraine, targeted support in Afghanistan, and ongoing engagement in Africa and other regions, albeit under financial constraints leading to aid budget reductions and strategic reassessments.
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