Over the years the annual editions have identified rising needs, insufficient spending, and patterns of violence towards humanitarian healthcare staff.

[4][5] In 2015 the inaugural edition, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that humanitarian needs had risen by 500% in the past ten years and that by June 2015, only 26% of the needs were funded by the world's governments.

[4] In 2017 the report documented the closure of eleven healthcare facilities in Sudan due to a funding shortfall.

[5] In 2018 the report documented 158 major violent incidents affected humanitarian workers in 22 countries, including 72 abductions and 139 homicides.

[3] It reported that compliance with international humanitarian law was falling, putting healthcare workers in dangervand reducing their ability to meet health needs.