They bring food to the Horn of Africa to save people from starving to death. They provide medical care to victims of sexualised violence in the Sudan. They set up tents in northern Syria to offer shelter from the rain and the cold to those who have lost almost everything. They show a human face and sometimes put themselves in considerable danger – humanitarian workers. I thank them from the bottom of my heart.

They are often the only hope for the poorest and the weakest. Who need our help now more than ever. Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine has exacerbated the hardship affecting many people around the world. Globally, 60 million more people have come to face acute hunger since the beginning of the war. More than 362 million children, women and men now depend on humanitarian assistance. That is more than four times the population of Germany.

For humanitarian workers to be able to continue their vital work, they need our support. The Federal Foreign Office is therefore providing a good 2.7 billion euro in humanitarian assistance in 2023. Germany has been the second-largest humanitarian donor worldwide for many years. I am grateful to live in a country where showing humanity to the weakest around the world matters. Meanwhile, these humanitarian efforts are also an important geostrategic component of our foreign policy.