LocationsThe future of humanitarian action begins with early recovery
August 25, 2026
For people living through protracted crises, rebuilding must begin as an integral part of the humanitarian response, helping people meet immediate needs while restoring the foundations they need to move forward.
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 the Republic of Korea, Maria now supervises a team clearing debris and solid waste from damaged neighbourhoods and reopening roads. Their work is helping families return, children reach school and businesses resume operations.
Watch an interview with Maria.
Maria’s story illustrates why recovery cannot wait for a crisis to end. For people living through protracted crises, rebuilding must begin as an integral part of the humanitarian response.
Crisis response in a changing world
Conflict, climate shocks and displacement are increasingly protracted, leaving millions of people living through crises that can last for years. By the end of May 2026, more than 252 million people were in urgent need of humanitarian assistance and protection.
The humanitarian system was built to respond to emergencies and save lives. That remains its essential role. But when crises persist, immediate relief alone cannot address the realities people face. Families need to sustain livelihoods, communities need functioning services and infrastructure, and local institutions need the capacity to respond and recover.
In Syria, Maria Ali 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 neighbourhoods and create safer conditions for people returning home.
This is particularly important for women and girls, who face heightened protection risks and barriers to accessing critical assistance and services during crises. At the same time, they are often among those holding communities together as first responders, community leaders and providers of support to others.
In prolonged crises, the question is therefore not only how we help people survive, but how we help them begin rebuilding while the crisis is still unfolding.
Helping communities move forward
Reopening roads reconnects communities. Restoring bridges allows farmers to reach markets. Functioning health clinics bring essential care closer to home. Transitional shelters and repaired homes provide safety and dignity. Cash-for-work programmes provide income while enabling people to contribute to the restoration of their communities.
The sooner this work begins, the sooner people can regain livelihoods, restore essential services and rebuild the foundations of their communities. By supporting people to move from dependence towards greater self-reliance, early action can help reduce prolonged reliance on humanitarian assistance while strengthening resilience to future shocks.
These are not outcomes that can wait until a crisis is over. They are part of an effective response that helps people meet immediate needs while restoring the foundations they need to move forward.
What early action looks like
This is the thinking behind UNDP’s flagship R.E.V.I.V.E. partnership with the Republic of Korea, which began in mid-2025.
The first year included Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the State of Palestine (Gaza), Myanmar, Syria and Ukraine. It demonstrated what is possible when humanitarian response and longer-term development efforts are connected from the outset.
Between July 2025 and July 2026, R.E.V.I.V.E. reached 4.9 million people. More than 2.55 million people benefited from improved infrastructure, with nearly 13,000 critical infrastructure assets constructed or rehabilitated. R.E.V.I.V.E. also improved shelter for 63,636 people, cleared 949,087 cubic metres of debris and solid waste, expanded access to essential services for 381,363 people and provided 140,718 people with employment and income-generating opportunities.
UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo and Ambassador Jihoon Cha, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations. Through R.E.V.I.V.E., UNDP and the Republic of Korea are strengthening their partnership to help communities affected by conflict and disasters recover, rebuild and move beyond crisis.
The human impact of this work is at the heart of R.E.V.I.V.E.: Where Tomorrow Begins, an immersive multimedia digital exhibition supported by the Republic of Korea.
In July 2026, UNDP and the Republic of Korea launched a second phase across Afghanistan, the State of Palestine (Gaza), Myanmar, Sudan, South Sudan and Syria.
Responding today, building tomorrow
Humanitarian needs are rising while resources remain under pressure. Every investment must therefore work harder by meeting immediate needs while reducing vulnerability, restoring livelihoods and strengthening resilience.
R.E.V.I.V.E. shows what this looks like in practice: a road reopened, a health centre restored, a livelihood rebuilt, a community empowered to shape its future.
For people living through protracted crises like Maria Ali, 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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