Compared to the previous reporting period (2010 - 2013) Germany more than tripled its humanitarian aid. In addition to natural disasters, it was primarily armed conflicts that resulted in a greater need for humanitarian support.

Focus on Syria and Africa

The regional focuses of worldwide assistance were Africa and the Middle East, necessitated in particular by the civil war in Syria and famine in Africa. As a result of the flow of refugees from war-torn Syria, the German government significantly increased the funding it made available in 2016 and 2017: while a total of 416 million euros was provided in 2014 by the German government, this figure had more than quadrupled by 2017 to 1.76 billion euros.

Health care, water, food

Health care was an important part of the humanitarian aid provided by Germany over the reporting period 2014 - 2017. The goal was to ensure access to essential life-saving and life-prolonging medical care in emergency situations and ongoing crises, and in inaccessible conflict-affected areas. Important preconditions include clean water, sanitation and good hygiene. That is why the German government has made these sectors an additional priority area. In view of the famines in Yemen and South Sudan, humanitarian food aid was another priority of Germany's engagement.

Germany is a trail-blazer in introducing forward-looking approaches to humanitarian aid. It endeavours to better coordinate humanitarian aid, development and peacebuilding. The German government made a substantial contribution to the World Humanitarian Summit 2016 in Istanbul. Germany also contributes to humanitarian assistance around the globe through the European Union.