Resolution on the joint communication on humanitarian aid

The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the joint communication on humanitarian aid.

The resolution follows the publication by the European Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on 27 May 2026 of a joint communication entitled ‘Defending values, driving reform, delivering impact: the EU’s humanitarian action in a shifting global order’.

Humanitarian needs are rapidly increasing and outpacing available funding. More than 300 million people are currently in need of humanitarian aid. The UN has launched a global appeal for USD 33 billion and aims to use this funding to reach 135 million people in 50 countries in 2026.

Parliament welcomed the commitments made in the joint communication on humanitarian aid regarding international humanitarian law (IHL) and the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence. It strongly condemned the obstruction of humanitarian aid and fundamentally opposed and condemned the delivery of humanitarian aid to advance military agendas and the politicisation of humanitarian aid by severely restricting access to life-saving aid, which undermine the core humanitarian principles.

The Commission, the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the Member States are urged to strengthen actions to safeguard the humanitarian space, ensure compliance with IHL and the humanitarian principles, strengthen accountability mechanisms, address gaps in the monitoring of violations, including through data collection and projects such as ‘IHL in Focus’, and refrain from partnerships that would undermine these principles.

Members underlined that where the EU funds and delivers humanitarian aid intended to save lives and prevent famine, and a non-EU country obstructs or blocks its delivery, the EU must use all political, diplomatic, legal and economic leverage at its disposal to secure the immediate and unhindered passage of that aid and ensure that it reaches the population in need.

The Commission is urged to:

- step up its support for safety and security measures to protect humanitarian workers;

- make ‘Protect Aid Workers’ a permanent, global programme with adequate funding;

- increase support for mental health and psychosocial support services for humanitarian workers;

- unequivocally condemn the killing of humanitarian workers and to invest in the investigation and prosecution of perpetrators.

Funding crisis

Members deeply regret the global humanitarian and development funding crisis, and the decision by several key donors, including several EU Member States, to reduce their aid budgets. They called on the Member States to take credible steps towards meeting the EU’s collective commitment to provide 0.7 % of gross national income as ODA, with 10 % dedicated to humanitarian action.

Expressing concern that growing geopolitical competition and shifting donor priorities may divert attention and resources away from the world’s least developed and most fragile countries, Parliament called on the Commission and the Member States to apply transparent, needs-based criteria when allocating humanitarian assistance and to ensure sufficient and sustained funding for crises that have been largely neglected and underfunded.

The resolution encouraged the Commission to continue its efforts towards making humanitarian supply chains more effective, efficient, environmentally sustainable and resilient and to co-design these reforms with implementing actors and to back them up with adequate financing.

Towards an integrated approach to fragility

The Commission and the Member States are called on to scale up support both for displaced populations and for the communities hosting them, invest in durable solutions and self-reliance, and ensure that responses to protracted displacement bridge humanitarian, development and peace action.

The Commission is asked to provide further guidance on the integration of humanitarian development-peace actions through sequenced, complementary or joint funding with the Member States. It is encouraged to use available flexibilities in funding instruments to respond adequately to crises in fragile contexts.

The resolution supports the efforts to step up Team Europe coordination in fragile contexts, and to strengthen partnerships with non-EU countries, regional and multilateral organisations, international development banks, the private sector and philanthropies. The Commission should closely collaborate with local civil society actors and organisations and local communities in fragile contexts to strengthen sustainability, community-based resilience and accountability.

Enhanced monitoring

Parliament called on the Commission to regularly monitor the implementation of the commitments on fragility and to report every two years to Parliament on their implementation.

Lastly, Parliament called on the Commission and the EEAS to devise a clear implementation and monitoring plan for the commitments made in the joint communication on humanitarian aid and the accompanying staff working documents, and to ensure Parliament’s full involvement in this process.