LocationsThe future of humanitarian action begins with early recovery
August 24, 2026
Maria Ali, a mother of five, found a way to support her family and contribute to the recovery of Homs. Leading a team of debris removal workers, she helped re-establish access to neighborhoods and create safer conditions for people returning home.
When Maria Ali returned to Homs after years of conflict in Syria, the road to her home no longer existed. Mountains of rubble blocked streets and access to homes and businesses, making it impossible for communities to move forward. As a mother of five, Maria needed an income, but she also wanted to help restore the city she had never stopped calling home.
Through UNDP’s R.E.V.I.V.E. programme, with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, Maria now supervises a team clearing debris and solid waste from damaged neighbourhoods and reopening roads so families can return, children can reach school, and businesses can resume operations. Maria is not waiting for the crisis to end before rebuilding her life. Neither should we.
By the end of May 2026, over 252 million people were in urgent need of humanitarian assistance and protection. Across these crises, women and girls faced heightened protection risks and barriers to accessing critical assistance and services, while also playing essential roles as first responders, community leaders and providers of support within affected communities.
The United Nations humanitarian system was built to respond to emergencies and save lives. Yet today’s increasingly protracted and complex crises require us to do more: help people restore livelihoods and essential services even as emergencies still unfold. Across the world, conflict, climate shocks and displacement persist for years. Families cannot put their futures on hold waiting for peace agreements to be signed or disasters to pass. From the earliest possible stages of a crisis, they need opportunities to earn an income, rebuild homes and communities, restore essential services, and shape their own futures.
This requires a fundamental shift from the conventional divide between humanitarian and development action. Recovery is too often treated as something that begins only after an emergency has passed. But for millions of people, there is no clear “after.” Recovery must begin on day one of a crisis, enabling people to rebuild what the crisis has taken away. Reopening roads reconnects communities. Restoring bridges allows farmers to reach markets. Functioning health clinics bring lifesaving care closer to home. Transitional shelters and repaired homes offer safety and dignity. Cash-for-work programmes provide both an income and an opportunity to strengthen communities. These outcomes cannot wait until a crisis is over. They are an integral part of humanitarian action.
The Republic of Korea has demonstrated significant leadership in advancing this vision of early recovery. Korea’s leadership carries particular weight because it is rooted in lived experience. Within a generation, the country transformed from a recipient of development assistance into a major global donor and development partner. That experience shows that recovery is an investment in people, institutions and the foundations for lasting peace and prosperity.
Through R.E.V.I.V.E., its flagship humanitarian partnership with UNDP on early recovery, Korea has translated this commitment into action, bridging the gap between emergency relief and sustainable recovery. The initiative reflects a shared conviction that humanitarian action is most effective when it not only saves lives but also helps people and communities rebuild their futures from the earliest stages of a crisis.
UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo and Ambassador Jihoon Cha, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations. Through REVIVE II, UNDP and the Republic of Korea are strengthening their partnership to help communities affected by conflict and disasters recover, rebuild and move beyond crisis.
Across countries affected by conflict and disaster, this integrated approach is helping communities restore critical infrastructure and essential services, revitalize local economies and strengthen their capacity to recover. This is crucial at a time when humanitarian needs are rising while resources are under increasing pressure. Every investment must work harder, helping people survive today’s crises while reducing vulnerability and building resilience to the crises of tomorrow.
World Humanitarian Day, observed each year on 19 August, was established to honour the 22 UN colleagues who lost their lives in the 2003 bombing of the UN office in Baghdad, Iraq. More than two decades later, it remains a powerful reminder of the extraordinary courage of humanitarian workers who risk their lives to save others in the world’s most difficult crises.
On this World Humanitarian Day, as we honour humanitarian workers worldwide, we should also recognize people like Maria Ali, whose determination reminds us that the true measure of humanitarian action is not only how many lives we save, but also how many futures we help rebuild. People cannot wait for crises to end before recovery begins. Recovery must begin on day one.
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