The year 2025 left the world immersed in prolonged armed conflicts, forced displacement, epidemic outbreaks and natural disasters affecting millions of people across numerous countries.
Despite the difficulties, insecurity and reduced funding to mitigate their effects, Farmamundi’s Humanitarian Action and Emergency Fund (FAHE) was able to respond to 11 humanitarian crises in 11 countries, directly assisting nearly 49,000 people in some of the most severe, least visible and most neglected emergencies worldwide. Sixty-seven percent of those assisted were women and girls — two out of every three people supported — reflecting a strategy that places their protection, health and rights at the center of the response.
“From Farmamundi’s Emergency Fund, we have focused on healthcare and the supply of medicines, epidemic prevention, psychosocial support and protection, together with the distribution of food, basic supplies and financial aid, prioritizing women and girls,” emphasized Tania Montesinos, Head of Humanitarian Action at Farmamundi. She also warned about the lack of resources available to carry out these activities.
Health Has Been a Central Axis of the Humanitarian Response
Last year, Farmamundi’s Emergency Fund interventions took place in eleven countries:
Ethiopia
Medicines were supplied and the Samre Hospital, located in northern Ethiopia, was strengthened to guarantee sexual and reproductive healthcare and support for survivors of gender-based violence following the war in Tigray.
Haiti
An urgent response was launched after Hurricane Melissa, providing emergency medical care, psychosocial support, cash assistance, food and the distribution of essential items such as drinking water and hygiene kits. Community healthcare campaigns were also organized to prevent and detect diseases.
Kenya
The Eastleigh North Health Center, located in a neighborhood of Nairobi, was improved with a new laboratory, medicines and essential reagents. Sexual and reproductive healthcare services were expanded, and hygiene kits and nutritional supplements for children were distributed.
Lebanon
The escalation of hostilities between Israel and Lebanon from September 2024 onwards worsened a situation already marked by economic collapse and social instability. Women heads of household were particularly affected, facing unemployment, loss of income and increasing social exclusion. Emergency financial support was provided to displaced women through training in traditional and modern handicrafts to strengthen their economic autonomy.
Myanmar
Following the Myanmar earthquake on March 28, emergency medical care was provided, including mental health support. Direct financial assistance was also delivered to help affected families meet urgent needs.
Palestine
The military offensive in the Gaza Strip has caused an unprecedented and prolonged humanitarian catastrophe, with more than 70,000 deaths since October 2023, an almost total collapse of basic services and extremely harsh winter conditions. Vital assistance was provided to displaced families through immediate access to food and the distribution of essential supplies to guarantee minimum survival conditions for families living in extreme hardship.
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
Armed violence in North Kivu, an eastern province bordering Uganda and Rwanda, caused massive displacement and an increase in violence against women and girls. Three health centers in North Kivu were strengthened with medicines and prioritized maternal and child healthcare, sexual and reproductive health services, and comprehensive support for survivors of sexual violence.
Dominican Republic
New migration policies in the Dominican Republic have deepened a chronic crisis affecting thousands of Haitian migrants and Dominicans of Haitian descent. Comprehensive maternal healthcare was provided for migrant women living in exclusion, alongside health training and specialized consultations with medicines supplied. The intervention benefited 3,240 people, all women and minors, in a context marked by exclusion and legal insecurity.
Syria
After more than 14 years of war, earthquakes and renewed conflict have triggered further displacement in northwestern Syria. Humanitarian support was provided to displaced populations in Jindires, a historic town in northern Syria near the Turkish border, through medicines and equipment for the local health center. Food, water, shelter and housing support were also distributed to cover basic needs.
Uganda
The Ebola outbreak declared in January 2025 put thousands of refugees living in the Kyaka II settlement in southwestern Uganda at risk. The camp hosts more than 120,000 people. The intervention focused on early case detection, healthcare staff training and community prevention measures to contain the spread of the virus. An urgent socio-health response was implemented to protect the refugee population.
Yemen
After more than nine years of war, Yemen remains immersed in one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. The collapse of the healthcare system and lack of access to safe water and sanitation — affecting 18 million people — have caused recurring cholera outbreaks and other preventable diseases. The intervention consisted of supplying emergency medicines in Hodeida, the capital of the province located on the Red Sea coast and one of the country’s main ports. Work was also carried out to strengthen healthcare personnel in risk management and disease control.
Farmamundi’s Emergency Fund “guarantees a rapid, independent and context-adapted response, especially in prolonged crises that rarely receive media attention,” concludes Montesinos.
Farmamundi thanks Laboratorios Viñas for its social responsibility and genuine solidarity demonstrated through its ongoing commitment to supporting humanitarian interventions that help alleviate the critical health and food situation faced by many families since 2007, also as a member of Farmamundi’s Emergency Fund.
