US pledges $2.6b in humanitarian support to UN after huge cuts in 2025
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UN aid chief Tom Fletcher has said the UN’s humanitarian response is overstretched and underfunded.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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GENEVA – The United States has made a US$2 billion (S$2.6 billion) pledge for UN humanitarian aid, a US State Department official said on Dec 29, following major foreign aid cuts by the Trump administration
The US slashed its aid spending in 2025, and leading Western donors such as Germany also pared back assistance as they pivoted to increased defence spending, triggering a severe funding crunch for the United Nations.
The US is pledging to commit US$2 billion in funding to the UN for humanitarian aid, the State Department official said. No further details were provided on how the money would be allocated or if additional pledges would follow.
UN data shows that total US humanitarian contributions to the UN fell to about US$3.38 billion in 2025, equating to about 14.8 per cent of the global sum. This was down sharply from US$14.1 billion the prior year and a peak of US$17.2 billion in 2022.
Earlier in December, the UN launched a 2026 aid appeal
UN aid chief Tom Fletcher has said the UN’s humanitarian response is overstretched and underfunded, meaning “brutal choices” had to be made to prioritise those most in need. REUTERS
