When crises strike, governments and communities need fast, practical help to rehabilitate infrastructure, restore services and revive livelihood while humanitarian operations are still underway.

SURGE is UNDP’s rapid deployment mechanism, mobilising experienced specialists to assist countries at critical moments and help begin recovery. Working alongside governments, UN partners and donors, SURGE helps ensure that early recovery is integrated into national plans from day one and stabilization is deployed at speed and scale.

Scaling up response, fast

SURGE Advisors are deployed at short notice to reinforce UNDP Country Offices and national partners when they are needed most. Their presence expands local capacity during the critical early phase of a crisis, when decisions can shape recovery outcomes for years.

SURGE supports responses to across a wide spectrum of crises, including:

• Conflict and forced displacement
• Earthquakes, floods, storms and climate shocks
• Protracted and complex crises requiring sustained engagement  

“Enabled by digital tools, SURGE offers a scalable platform for collaboration, knowledge exchange and joint problem-solving. It moves beyond project-based engagement to support real-time recovery needs,” says Devanand Ramiah, Director of UNDP’s Crisis Readiness, Response and Recovery Team.  

Who are SURGE Advisors?

SURGE provides rapid access to development-focused crisis expertise through a global roster of more than 670 SURGE advisors, drawn from across regions and disciplines.

They bring hands-on expertise in areas such as:

1. Early recovery programming, including restoring services, livelihoods and infrastructure, debris clearance and mine action;
2. Stabilization, including through restoring basic security, essential services and infrastructure and income;
3. Crisis communications and partnerships;
4. Risk management and operations.

All the advisors complete UNDP’s flagship crisis training programme, running since 2007, ensuring a shared operational approach and high professional standards. Women make up around half of all trained SURGE Advisors, reinforcing UNDP’s commitment to inclusive leadership in crisis response.

Deployments typically last up to three months, providing immediate support while helping strengthen national systems for longer-term recovery.

SURGE in action

Bangladesh

Political unrest in Bangladesh in 2024, sparked by public sector job quota protests, quickly evolved into a nationwide call for justice and systemic reform.

“Deployed immediately after the crisis, the SURGE mission helped the Country Office identify practical governance entry points and rapidly develop project concepts aligned with reform discussions,” says Dilrukshi Fonseka, now serving as the Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP Myanmar.

Gaza

The war in Gaza has devastated infrastructure and livelihoods, worsening an already severe humanitarian crisis affecting all 2.1 million residents. UNDP’s Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (PAPP) is supporting emergency services, livelihoods, and debris management while preparing for longer-term recovery.

“The SURGE mission helped identify entry points for scaling recovery in Gaza,” says Giordano Segneri, UNDP Governance and Peacebuilding Regional Team Leader for Arab States. “It focused on restoring essential functions, strengthening institutions, expanding justice and digital services, and reinforcing community resilience.” 

Lebanon

Conflict in Lebanon has displaced hundreds of thousands of people, damaged buildings, and disrupted the economy.

“UNDP’s Stabilization Response Mechanism mission engaged German Federal Foreign Office representatives, helping secure US $3 million to launch the Lebanon Stabilization Programme,” says Glaucia Boyer, UNDP Global Advisor on Stabilization. “Together with government counterparts and partners, we defined interventions across security, services, and income to strengthen stability and state authority.”

Madagascar

Madagascar entered a political transition in 2025 after youth-led protests led to a military-led change in government. The crisis created an urgent need to support dialogue, institutional stability, and social cohesion.

“The SURGE mission helped identify entry points for UNDP support, including a roadmap for political transition, inclusive national dialogue, stronger transitional institutions, and greater investment in social cohesion and youth engagement. Ensuring the process responds to the priorities of young people and women was a key focus,” says Raquel Leandro, UNDP Youth Empowerment Specialist.

Sudan

Since April 2023, Sudan has faced one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with mass displacement, violence and collapsed services. In 2025, UNDP, alongside humanitarian partners, supported 1.75 million people with improved incomes through support for agriculture, small businesses and cash-for-work programmes.

“I helped develop savings schemes, micro-grants and loan mechanisms that allow displaced people, returnees, refugees, and host communities, often women, to access finance and start small businesses,” says Arvind Kumar, Team Leader for Recovery and Resilience, UNDP Sudan.

Partnerships make this possible

Partnerships with governments, donors and UN partners make these rapid deployments possible, ensuring that countries facing crisis have access to the expertise they need when it matters most.