Washington has pledged an initial $2 billion for United Nations humanitarian assistance in 2026 — a figure far lower than recent funding levels — while warning UN agencies to “adapt, shrink or die”.
The pledge was announced on Monday at the United States Mission in Geneva alongside UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher, as the US government moves to introduce major reforms to how it finances global relief operations.
Rather than disbursing funds directly to individual agencies, the United States will now channel its contributions through the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by Fletcher, which earlier introduced a “Humanitarian Reset” aimed at improving efficiency and accountability.
The funds will be allocated to 17 priority countries, including Sudan, Ukraine, Myanmar, Haiti and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
A portion of the money will also go to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, which provides rapid support during new crises or sudden escalation of existing emergencies.
Describing the announcement as “an initial anchor commitment”, Jeremy Lewin, the senior US official responsible for foreign assistance, humanitarian affairs and religious freedom, said more countries would be added as new funds flow into the framework.
He noted that Yemen and Afghanistan were excluded due to the need to “prevent diversion to the Taliban and other US-designated foreign terrorist organisations”.
Gaza was also absent from the initial list, but Lewin said support for the territory would become a stronger focus as President Donald Trump’s truce proposal with Israel progresses.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the approach represents “a new model” that will reduce duplication, improve oversight and ensure greater burden-sharing among wealthier nations.
Lewin also urged other donor governments to equal or surpass the US commitment.
UN records show that although the United States remained the world’s largest humanitarian donor in 2025, contributions dropped to $2.7 billion — a sharp decline from about $11 billion in 2023 and 2024, and more than $14 billion in 2022. Other major donors have also reduced spending, leading to instability across the aid sector.
A State Department statement warned that “individual UN agencies will need to adapt, shrink, or die”.
Fletcher described the American pledge as an “extraordinary” commitment and hailed the US as “the world’s humanitarian superpower”, saying millions of lives have been saved through its support.
He added that planned reforms will make relief delivery “faster, smarter and closer to the people on the front lines of emergencies”, while enabling US taxpayers to see clearly how their funds are used.
Earlier this month, Fletcher unveiled the UN’s 2026 Global Humanitarian Appeal, seeking $23 billion to assist 87 million vulnerable people in crisis zones such as Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Haiti and Myanmar — a significantly scaled-down request as the UN adjusts to new funding realities following Trump’s return to office.
The UN clarified that the reduced appeal does not reflect a decline in global needs, estimating that around 240 million people worldwide still require emergency assistance due to conflict, epidemics, disasters and climate-related crises.
In 2025, the UN appealed for more than $45 billion but received only $12 billion — the lowest funding level in a decade — limiting support to 98 million people, 25 million fewer than the previous year.
