The US has announced a $2 billion pledge for UN humanitarian aid, even as President Donald Trump’s administration slashes US foreign assistance and warns UN agencies they must “adapt, shrink or die” in a time of new financial realities.
The amount is a small fraction of what the US has contributed in the past but reflects what the administration considers a generous sum that maintains America’s status as the world’s largest humanitarian donor.
The pledge, announced at the US mission in Geneva alongside UN aid chief Tom Fletcher, is part of a dramatic overhaul of how Washington funds UN humanitarian work.
Instead of giving funds to individual agencies, the US will channel contributions through the UN aid agency OCHA, headed by Mr Fletcher, which earlier this year launched a “Humanitarian Reset” to improve efficiency and accountability.
The US funds - welcomed by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres - will then be distributed to 17 selected countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Myanmar, Sudan and Ukraine.
The UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund, which provides rapid aid during new emergencies or when existing crises worsen, will also receive a portion of the money.
"It is an initial anchor commitment," Jeremy Lewin, the senior US official for foreign assistance, humanitarian affairs and religious freedom, told reporters.
"There are other countries that we will add, as we continue to get more funding into this mechanism."
Crises not included in the list include Yemen and Afghanistan, where Mr Lewin emphasised the need to “prevent diversion to the Taliban and other US-designated foreign terrorist organisations”.
Gaza was also absent, but Mr Lewin said there would be greater focus on aid for the war-ravaged Palestinian territory as Mr Trump’s truce plan with Israel advances.
“This new model will better share the burden of UN humanitarian work with other developed countries and will require the UN to cut bloat, remove duplication, and commit to powerful new impact, accountability and oversight mechanisms,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on social media.
The pledge creates an umbrella fund, from which money will be allocated to agencies and priorities — a key part of US demands for drastic reforms across the UN that have alarmed many humanitarian workers and led to reductions in programs and services.
The $2 billion is only a fraction of traditional US humanitarian funding for UN-coordinated programs, which has reached as high as $17 billion annually in recent years, according to UN data. US officials say only $8 billion to $10 billion of that has been voluntary contributions. The US also pays billions in annual UN membership dues.
The State Department said “individual UN agencies will need to adapt, shrink, or die”. Critics argue the aid cutbacks have been shortsighted, driving millions toward hunger, displacement, or disease and harming US soft power worldwide.
