Development

Emergency

The United Nations Joint SDG Fund activated a Development Emergency Modality to respond to the unfolding global food, energy, and financing crises. The war in Ukraine set in motion a three-dimensional crisis that is producing alarming cascading effects on a world economy already battered by COVID-19 and climate change. In 2026, the response led to the growing socio-economic spillovers of the crisis in the Middle East. United Nations assessments show the crisis disrupting trade routes, energy markets and supply chains, driving up costs, straining government budgets, worsening food insecurity and pressuring social protection systems, hitting hardest in countries already carrying development and climate vulnerabilities.

Latest

UN Secretary-General Statement (July 2026)

Crisis in the Middle East

$ 100,000

Seed Funding

35

Countries and Territories, UN's system-wide offer

5

Countries and Territories, Expertise on Demand

The UN development system has mobilised a coordinated, system-wide package of support led by Resident Coordinators, with the technical leadership of UNDP Resident Representatives, working alongside national governments, international financial institutions and development partners. DEM is the financing engine behind that package, running two funding approaches at once:

Approach 1: Deployment of high-level UN expertise in 5 highly exposed countries through the Expertise on Demand pilot Funding.
Approach 2: US$100,000 in seed funding to up to 35 highly exposed countries to support implementation of the UN's system-wide offer, under RC leadership.

UN System-wide Offer in Response to the Spillover Impacts of the Middle East

This document outlines the UN system-wide offer in response to the spillover impacts of the Middle East crisis and is organised around six common service lines. Together, they help countries move from understanding the nature of spillover risks to designing, financing and delivering practical responses — and provide a common frame for RCs and UNCTs to match country demand with the capacities of UN entities, ensuring support is coordinated, time-bound and focused on the changes countries seek.

Report

Crisis in Ukraine

$ 22.9 m

Total Investment

87

UN Country Teams

100

Countries and Territories

The Joint SDG Fund activated US$ 22.9 million, under the guidance of the United Nations Global Crisis Response Group (GCRG) to support 87 UN country teams covering over 100 countries and territories, in response to the global crisis. Through this process, the Fund received 83 joint proposals, requesting up to US$ 250,000 per UN country teams and US$ 400,000 per Multi-Country Offices.

Country	Programme
Afghanistan	Afghanistan’s Private Sector Capacities And Capabilities For Food Security
Armenia	Food Value Chains Have Improved Resilience Through Investments That Increase Productive Capacities To Respond To Increased Market Demand
Bangladesh	Assessing And Strengthening Food Security Mechanisms In Bangladesh
Barbados and OECS	Barbados And OECS - Food Security And Livelihoods Resilience Through Analytical, Capacity Building And Policy Support In Response To The Global Crisis On Food, Energy And Finance
Belarus	Promoting New Tools Of Sustainable Development Budgeting That Prioritize Vulnerable Populations In Belarus
Belize	Strengthening Belize's Evidence Base And Systems For Crisis Response
Benin	Benin Blue Bond Strategy And Roadmap
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Strengthening Bosnia And Herzegovina’s Resilience To Address The Impact Of The Ukraine War On Food Security And Incomes Of Most Vulnerable Groups
Burkina Faso	Integrated Programme In Support Of Schools Feeding
Burundi	Assessing The Impact Of The Ukraine-Russia Crisis On Burundi’s Economy And Population And Developing Country’s Capacity To Analyze Shock ‘Impact And Build Scenario For Decision And Resilience.
Cabo Verde	Livelihood Support For Vulnerable Households In 2 Pilot Municipalities Affected By Severe Food Insecurity
Cambodia	Strengthening Cambodia’s Socio-Economic Resilience To Global Crises And Food System Shocks.
Chad	Coordinated Humanitarian Action Decision-Making Through An Effective Information Management System
Comoros	Accelerating The Generation Of Evidence And Innovative Policy Options For Crisis Adaptation To Mitigate The Impacts Of The Food, Energy, And Financial Crisis In Comoros, Particularly On Women, Youth, And Children
Congo	Building Resilience Of Vulnerable Communities, Especially Youth, Women And People Who Lives In Extreme Poverty, Through Agri-Food Value Chain Analysis And Promotion, Market Access Facilitation Promotion, Access To Social Protection Including Cash-Transf
Democratic Republic of the Congo	Strengthening The Economic And Social Resilience Of The DRC Through Agricultural Transformation And Access To Green And Affordable Energy
Cook Islands, Samoa and Niue	Supporting The Governments Of Cook Islands, Samoa And Niue To Analytically Understand And Address Impacts Of The Global Crisis Of Food, Energy And Finance On National Food Systems
Côte d'Ivoire	Identifying Value Chains Of The Future
Cuba	Support For The Development Of An Integrated National Financing Framework For The SDGs In
Djibouti	Resilience Data For Food Security Preparedness And Early Action In Djibouti
Dominican Republic	Integrated UN Support To The DR To Mitigate The Impact Of The Global Crisis On Food, Energy And Finance
Ecuador	Preventing And Mitigating A Potential Food Crisis In Ecuador And Strengthening The Social Protection In The Face Of A Crisis
Egypt	Strengthening The Resilience Of Vulnerable Populations In Egypt To Impacts Of The Global Emergency
El Salvador	Strengthening The Capacity To Collect Information That Complements The Analysis Of The Economic Impacts And The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) 2022-2023 And Its Operational Analysis Structure For Monitoring And Generating Food and Nut
Eritrea	Nationwide Rural Energy Supply, Delivery And Demand Analysis For A Medium Term Rural Solar PV Off-Grid Electrification Plan
Eswatini	Understanding And Motivating Proactive Response To The Global Crises And Their Interactions With Existing Vulnerabilities In Eswatini
Gabon	Strengthening Productivity And Resilience Of Youth And Women In Gabon
Gambia	Impact Assessment Of The Global Security And Inflation Crisis On Food Security, Nutrition and Livelihood Of People In The Gambia And Support The Development Of An Evidence-Driven Shock-Responsive Social Safety Nets System
Georgia	Strengthening Georgia’s Food And Energy Resilience
Ghana	Scaling Up Of Food Security And Financial Systems Resilience
Guinea	Guinea National Integrated Financing And Implementation Strategy For SDG Achievement By 2030: What Do The National SDG Targets Cost, How To Finance Them, And What To Do To Achieve Them By 2030 Through SDG -Sensitive Planning, Budgeting And Monitoring
Guinea-Bissau	Enhancing Food Security And Food Sovereignty In Guinea-Bissau: Producing Evidence For Policy-Making Through Data Collection And A Pilot Programme On Improved Agricultural Techniques
Guyana	FAO And WFP Joint Development Emergency Programme For Food Security And Livelihoods Resilience In Guyana
Haiti	Global Crisis Emergency Support For Haiti: Sustainable Trade And Value Chain Development For Diversification Of The Economy, Improved Working Conditions, Rural Employment Creation And Food Security
Honduras	Nutrition SMART And Food Security Survey In Honduras To Assess The Impact Of The Crisis On Children And
Jamaica, Bahamas	Strengthening Jamaica's Resilience To Food And Water Insecurity
Jordan	Accelerating Jordan’s Progress Towards SDGs By Establishing Building Blocks Of An Integrated Financing Framework
Kiribati, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau	Supporting Governments To Analytically Understand And Address Impacts Of The Global Crisis Of Food, Energy And Finance On National Food Systems
Kyrgyzstan	Closing Statistical Data Gaps To Measure Impacts Of War And Enhancing The Government's Ability To Mitigate The Negative Consequences
Lao People's Democratic Republic	High-Frequency Data Collection, Monitoring, And Analysis Of Socioeconomic Data To Support Evidence Based Policymaking In A Volatile Time Period
Lebanon	Study Of Lebanon's Wheat Value Chain And Rural Migration To Support Sustainable Food Systems And Enhance National Food Security
Lesotho	Joint Programme On National Response To The Food Security Crisis In Lesotho
Liberia	Rapid Food Security, Livelihoods, Nutrition And Markets Assessment In Liberia
Madagascar	Impact Study Of The War In Ukraine On Development Financing In Madagascar
Malawi	Enable The Government Of Malawi To Design An Effective Policy And Programmatic Response To Protect The Most Vulnerable From The Impact Of The Recent Global And National Crises
Mali	Solar Energy, Telehealth And Social Protection Project To Transform Community Health In Mali (Sandi)
Mauritiana	Contribute To The Assessment Of The Impacts Of The Current Crisis And The Identification Of Funding Sources For The National Response Plan
Mauritius, Seychelles	Building The Resilience Of Food Systems In Mauritius And Seychelles by Leveraging on Sustainable Agricultural Practices
Republic of Moldova	Strengthening Moldova’s Resilience To Address The Impact Of The Ukraine War On Food Security
Mongolia	Rapid Analysis And Response To The Impact Of Russia-Ukraine Conflict And The Covid-19 Pandemic, On Mongolia’s Economy And Vulnerable Population
Morocco	Path To Resilience Through Energy, Food & Social Protection Systems
Mozambique	Supporting The Functioning Of Food Markets By Facilitating Timely Access To Market Information
Namibia	Support To Strengthening Resilient Food Systems In Namibia
Nepal	Assessing The Impact Of The Global Crisis On the Agriculture And Food Security Situation In Nepal
Nicaragua	Strengthened Information Systems For Improved Social Protection Policies And Programmes Ready To Respond To Food Insecurity Emergency
Niger	Planning To Build Back Better Food Security In Niger
North Macedonia	Identifying Systemic Pathways For Responding To The Global Crisis On Food, Energy And Finance In North Macedonia
Pakistan	Strengthening The National Food Security And Nutrition Monitoring System, Disaster Preparedness And Risk Reduction In Pakistan
Philippines	Monitoring The Food, Energy, Finance Crisis Towards Informed Policy And Response Options In The Philippines
Sao Tome and Principe	Health System Strengthening For Shock Responsive Social Services For the Most Vulnerable Population
Senegal	Building Resilience And Promoting Sustainable Diversified Food Systems: Increasing Domestic Production Of Local Grains And Seeking And Alternative To Wheat
Serbia	Extending Social Protection To Families In Serbia With Enhanced Shock- Responsiveness
Sierra Leone	Strengthening Domestic Resource Mobilisation For SDGs Financing In Sierra Leone
Sir Lanka	Urban Agriculture And Community Resilience Towards Gender Equality And Women's Empowerment
Solomon Island, Tuvalu	Supporting Solomon Islands And Tuvalu To Analytically Understand And Address Impacts Of The Global Crisis Of Food, Energy And Finance On National Food Systems
Somalia	Assessing Households’ Energy Access And Consumption In Southern Somalia
South Sudan	Assessing The Impacts Of Ukraine’s Crisis On Food Security In South Sudan
State of Palestine	Strengthening Livelihoods And Social Protection In Response To Rising Food Prices, Rising Energy Prices And Tightening Financial Controls
Sudan	Assessment Of The Adverse Impact Of The Triple Crisis (Food, Energy, And Financial) On Food Insecurity And Livelihood Impoverishment Of The Resident Population, Internally Displaced Persons, And Host Communities In Sudan And Its SDG Roadmap.
Suriname	Emergency Modalities In Response To The Flooding Crisis
Syrian Arab States Republic	Food Systems And The Impact Of Crisis In Syria: Challenges And Opportunities
Tajikistan	Improved Food Security In Tajikistan
Timor-Leste	Entrepreneurship, Energy, Empowerment For Women (3E4Women)
Togo	Improving Development Financing For The Achievement Of The SDGs In Togo
Tunisia	Unbutters Flying The Effects Of The Ukrainian-Russian War: How Can We Anticipate And Prepare For The Fallouts Of The Ukrainian Russian War on The Food Security in Two Municipalities In Tunisia?
Turkiye	Supply Chain Analysis For The Turkish Wheat Sector – Building A Resilient Food System
Turkmenistan	Improving The System Of Social Protection Through The Introduction Of Inclusive Quality Community-Based Social Services
Ukraine	Addressing The Compounded Food And Energy Crisis In Ukraine through Innovative Technologies and Adaptive Agricultural Practices
Uzbekistan	Multi-Faceted Response To The Food And Energy Emergency In Uzbekistan
Venezuela (Bolivarian Rep. of)	Development Of Resilient Local Food Systems Through A School-Based Feeding Social Protection Programme Approach
Yemen	Food Affordability In Conflict-Torn Yemen In Light Of The Ukraine War
Zimbabwe	Comprehensive Monitoring Framework For Anticipatory Action Planning In Zimbabwe

Brief: Financing UN Catalytic Actions to Rescue the SDGs (July 2021)

The UN Joint SDG Fund aims to catalyse cross-sectoral and cross-organizational policies and financing in developing countries to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs by empowering the UN development system under the Resident Coordinator’s leadership.

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Press Release: UN Joint SDG Fund's US$ 22.9 million Response to the Triple Crisis

July 18 2022, New York - The United Nations Joint Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Fund activated a Development Emergency Modality to respond to the unfolding global food, energy, and financing crises. The war in Ukraine set in motion a three-dimensional crisis that is producing alarming cascading effects on a world economy already battered by COVID-19 and climate change.

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Situation Report 1: DEVELOPMENT EMERGENCY MODALITY (June 2022)

The Joint SDG Fund activated its Development Emergency Modality in June 2022, upon guidance of the Executive Office of the UN Secretary-General and the Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy and Finance. The modality is open to countries and territories most exposed to the global knock-on effects of the conflict in Ukraine, supporting an immediate and cohesive UN response at country level.

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Situation Report 2: DEVELOPMENT EMERGENCY MODALITY (August 2022)

The Joint SDG Fund activated its Development Emergency Modality in June 2022, upon guidance of the Executive Office of the UN Secretary-General and the Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy and Finance. The modality is open to countries and territories most exposed to the global knock-on effects of the conflict in Ukraine, supporting an immediate and cohesive UN response at country level.

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"UN Country Teams are using the Development Emergency Modality of the Joint SDG Fund to help governments devise strategic interventions to cope with the multi-dimensional crisis in food, energy, and finance, and accelerate the transformation of food systems."

Amina J. Mohammed

United Nations Deputy Secretary-General

Why Development Emergency

In full alignment with the guidance of the United Nations Global Crisis Response Group (GCRG) on Food, Energy and Finance, the Joint SDG Fund’s Development Emergency rapidly funds United Nations development work to help countries address socio-economic, food, energy and fuel crises and help prevent further derailing of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals in vulnerable countries across the globe.

Our Approach

In its rapid investments, the Fund supports United Nations country teams under the leadership of Resident Coordinators - to enable UN teams to move quickly to generate analytics around the crisis and work with Governments and partners. It is a rapid avenue for donors and development partners to offer fast and flexible seed financing for a period of one year in response to the crisis.

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“We are impressed by the speed of the Development Emergency Modality’s disbursements and the broad integration of many different agencies into this ambitious undertaking. We are proud to contribute to the Emergency Modality a further US$ 2.7 million from Germany, earmarked to support food security.”

Bärbel Kofler

Parliamentary Secretary of State of Germany’s Ministry of Development Cooperation

Trade Routes and Supply Chains

United Nations assessments show the crisis disrupting trade routes, energy markets and supply chains, driving up costs, straining government budgets, worsening food insecurity and pressuring social protection systems, hitting hardest in countries already carrying development and climate vulnerabilities, including the effects of El Niño.

Finance

The increased volatility in financial markets pose serious threats to developing countries and could halt progress on the SDGs. Policy interventions that can offset the impact of the crisis will be supported, like expanding social protection programmes and increasing the cost-efficiency of the financing architecture in the most impacted countries.

Energy

High energy prices disproportionally affect the poor and most vulnerable. Interventions would aim to enhance access to affordable energy and reducing the impact of soaring prices for households and businesses and dependency on fossil fuels.

Food

Food prices have never been higher. If unaddressed, global food insecurity will result in famine and destabilization, and mass migration around the world. Interventions will provide support to address immediate food security and nutrition impact and longer-term policy and financing solutions for driving resilient foods systems.

The GCRG interventions targeted by the Joint SDG Fund are good long term investments - strengthening social protection, analysing scenarios of financial distress and adapting energy transition efforts. All of which, will lower future humanitarian costs in a crisis of this scale.

Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

Donors

Joint SDG Fund operations are possible because of support from United Nations Member States, international organizations, the private sector, and philanthropic individuals. Together, we are an unstoppable force in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Actions to Rescue the SDGs

The Joint SDG Fund has activated the Development Emergency Modality, to help the UN respond fast. Think of DEM as a financial first-responder. It exists to get money moving to countries within days or weeks, not the months a normal funding process can take.