The US will provide another $1.8 billion to the UN for humanitarian aid, Washington’s ambassador Mike Waltz said on Thursday, as the world body deals with rising global crises and shrinking donor funds.
The pledge comes in addition to $2 billion announced by Washington in December under a new system designed to speed up the delivery of life-saving assistance in major emergencies.
“These will save more lives around the world but also drive forward the reforms that we put in place for efficiency, accountability and lasting impact. This isn't the end for efforts. In fact, it's just the latest step,” Mr Waltz told reporters.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher welcomed the pledge, saying aid agencies were under unprecedented pressure from conflict, climate disasters and funding shortages.
“This is an exceptionally tough time for humanitarians,” Mr Fletcher said. “We are overstretched, under-resourced and increasingly under attack.”
The UN said it requires $33 billion in 2026 to support 135 million people affected by wars, epidemics, climate change and natural disasters.
The $1.68 billion from the earlier US package was allocated to impartial, needs-based humanitarian operations across 18 crises, with the aim of reaching more than 22 million people.
Mr Fletcher said the UN cut the usual allocation time in half to accelerate aid delivery, with more than 90 per cent of the funds directed towards people facing the most severe humanitarian conditions.
US President Donald Trump’s administration has withdrawn billions of dollars in foreign aid, forcing UN agencies to cut budgets, reduce humanitarian programmes and eliminate thousands of jobs. Several other major UN donors, including Britain, France, Germany and Japan, have also reduced their aid funds.
“We found that when the UN does what it does best, delivering humanitarian aid in remote, difficult locations, at scale with a reliable and affordable supply chain, it can and does succeed,” Mr Waltz said.
“It's only, then, when the organisation strays from its core mission that it tends to not perform nearly as well as it should.”
Mr Waltz also rejected accusations that the US had "walked away" from humanitarian leadership, calling them “absolutely false”.
Despite the latest humanitarian pledge, the US has not contributed to the UN’s regular budget in 2025.
Washington owes about $2 billion to the organisation’s regular budget and another $2.2 billion for peacekeeping operations.
