WASHINGTON (Sept. 25, 2025) — Forced displacement of large populations around the globe has triggered rising concern about the consequences for human health, according to a working paper published today. The report concludes that this is a humanitarian priority, and that the US must scale up its global health assistance to prevent deaths, illness and promote safety and security in the United States and abroad.
The findings and recommendations in the working paper reflect the consensus from a recent roundtable discussion held at the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health, in conjunction with the CORE Group. Participants in the roundtable included 20 experts in forced displacement, humanitarian aid, and environmental and public health. The release coincides with the 80th UN General Assembly, as well as Climate Week NYC.
Key Findings From the Working Paper:
- The US is in a unique position to develop innovative solutions for health assistance in forced displacement settings given its capacity to collaborate and its expertise in data science, health information and early warning systems, diplomatic capacity and other areas.
- US global health assistance efforts should leverage these strengths and adopt a holistic and integrated approach to addressing the growing crisis of displacement in the context of rapid environmental change and extreme weather.
- US foreign health assistance can bring important returns on investments and can keep Americans safe through better global health security and adaptive capacity. Such efforts can also support the American economy and would help create jobs.
- Providing health assistance for displaced populations, including women, children, older adults and people living in poverty, aligns with American core values of helping the most at-risk people and alleviating human suffering around the world.
The authors note that more people are displaced worldwide than ever before–over 120 million people according to the latest UN figures. That upward trend is expected to continue and accelerate due to conflicts, urbanization, environmental change such as heat waves, extreme weather, rising sea levels and other factors.
The report also points out that forced and environmentally induced migration increases the risk of a host of diseases including dengue, measles, and other infections as well as uncontrolled diabetes, injuries and mental health challenges.
The working paper,”Beyond Emergency Relief: The Role of US Foreign Health Assistance Amid Growing Displacement and Environmental Change,” was prepared for the group by Maya Rao, a Senior Center Specialist at GW and Timothy Holtz, Director of the Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness, and Adjunct Faculty Member Steven Hansch– all at the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health, as well as Lisa Hilmi at CORE Group.