How do humanitarian crises become ‘hidden’?

There’s nothing invisible or silent about conflict, inequality or climate change. Especially for the people facing them. But only some crises are afforded the attention and support that they deserve.

In Gaza, war crimes are going unchecked, and tens of thousands of people have been killed. In Sudan, civil war has displaced millions of people. And across Ethiopia, Kenya and much of East Africa, the worst hunger crisis in living memory is forcing millions of people towards famine.

But, here in the UK, too much of this doesn't make the headlines. And, even when crises are reported on, we often aren’t getting the full story.

Devastating crises are costing millions of people their lives.

When we don’t hear about a humanitarian crisis, it’s often because of choices being made. Some stories simply aren’t prioritised. Some aren't in the interests of those in power. Some stories threaten the system itself.  

Stories are powerful. They unite people and help make the world a better place. So if we're not hearing them, we're less likely to demand change.

We need to act in global solidarity. To do this, we need to amplify the humanitarian crises happening right now.

So, it's time to tune in.

1. Media coverage

The media should be there to keep us informed, connecting us to people all over the world. But, in an unequal system, the media is often driven by profit – not people.

For-profit media outlets need to make money. They’re part of a system that competes for readers and ‘clicks’. This means often relying on stoking emotions like anger or fear to get people’s attention. 

Being authentic is too often sacrificed for going viral – and our system rewards this.

And some media outlets are intentionally biased.

In the UK, just three companies own 90% of the national newspapers. 71% of local newspapers are owned by just six companies. Rather than telling stories that we need to hear, our profit-driven media often sides with the powerful.

When crisis and conflict happens, media bias is dangerous.

Israel has frequently blocked communication networks to Gaza since October 2023. This makes it harder to rely on our media to keep us connected to what’s happening. 

That's why it's so important to platform Palestinian voices, particularly when some media outlets are complicit in their silencing.

Profit-driven media prevents us from hearing stories like Buthaina’s. But we can all choose sources of information that make sure we're hearing important issues that really matter.

Engaging with independent news and local influencers can be powerful way to combat the reporting gap on humanitarian crises.

2. World leaders

Our leaders are supposed to represent us, but sometimes it feels like they don’t speak up about what really matters.

Sometimes world leaders have conflicting interests that make them less likely to help find a solution. Often, power and profit motivate which issues make it to Parliament.

For example, the UK is one of Saudi Arabia’s leading arms suppliers. This means, for around ten years, Yemen has been bombed with bombs supplied by Britain. It’s one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. More than 18.2 million people need emergency aid and face extreme food insecurity.

The UK government is also complicit in Israel’s war on Gaza through its arms exports.

Since 2015, the UK has licensed at least £500 million worth of military exports to Israel. This includes components in the fighter jets used to bomb Gaza and surveillance drones that spy on and attack civilians.

With all of this involvement, it’s no surprise that our leaders are silent. 

Their silence is dangerous and deliberate. It puts millions of lives at risk and keeps our system unequal.

Silence is their choice. But it doesn’t have to be ours. 

We elect our leaders to represent the issues that matter most.

So, if they’re failing to do that, we’ve got to act. Whether it’s signing Oxfam's petition calling on the UK government to stop all arms to Israel or campaigning with us to lobby your MP, we can all call loudly for change.  

The more we raise our collective voice, the harder we are to ignore. 

3. Lack of solidarity

Breaking the silence on humanitarian crises starts with solidarity. 

A report published in 2025 found that nearly all of the worst-funded humanitarian crises are located in Africa. Why is this?

Stereotypes about ‘instability’ in some parts of the world can create the feeling that it’s just how things are. 

Some of us might feel like humanitarian crises are ‘too complicated’ to understand. Maybe we’ve heard our leaders say so. This isn't true. The reality is: we should care.

There’s nothing complicated about this. We all deserve safety, health, and compassion – no matter where we live.

Most humanitarian crises are enabled by our system. For example, the climate crisis is driving global temperatures. It's making droughts in East Africa more frequent. And it's the world’s richest 1% who are disproportionately responsible.

Extreme drought, fueled by injustice, is destroying people's lives across the East Africa region.

• 90% of Somalia is in severe drought.
• More than 3 million people in Kenya are experiencing extreme hunger.
• More than 9 million people in Ethiopia need urgent humanitarian support because of extreme drought and conflict.

When stories aren’t told, and crises aren’t resolved, millions of people’s lives remain at risk. But we don’t have to be complicit. We have the power to change this.

If we’re serious about a future that puts people and planet first, we’ve all got to play our part in creating it. That means amplifying the voices of people sidelined by the system.

Let’s make so much noise that every humanitarian crisis becomes impossible to ignore. After all, silence serves the system. It's speaking out that serves us all.