US Pledges $2 Billion for UN Aid, Urges Agencies to ‘Adapt, Shrink or Die’
GENEVA: The United States on Monday pledged an initial $2 billion for United Nations humanitarian aid in 2026 — significantly lower than its contributions in previous years — and warned UN agencies to “adapt, shrink or die.”
Announcing the pledge at the US mission in Geneva alongside UN aid chief Tom Fletcher, the US outlined a major overhaul of its humanitarian funding approach. Instead of directly funding individual UN agencies, contributions will now flow through the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), led by Fletcher, which recently launched a Humanitarian Reset to improve efficiency and accountability.
The funds will be distributed to over a dozen priority countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, and Sudan. Jeremy Lewin, senior US official for foreign assistance, described the $2 billion as an “initial anchor commitment,” noting that more countries may be added as additional funding becomes available.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that the new model aims to share the burden of UN humanitarian work with other developed countries, reduce duplication, and enforce stricter oversight and accountability. He called on other nations to match or exceed the US contribution.
According to UN data, the US remained the world’s largest humanitarian donor in 2025, but its aid fell sharply to $2.7 billion from $11 billion in 2023–2024, and over $14 billion in 2022. Other major donors have also reduced funding, creating upheaval in the global aid sector.
Fletcher described the US pledge as “extraordinary,” highlighting the life-saving impact of American generosity. He said the Humanitarian Reset will make aid delivery faster, more efficient, and closer to affected populations, while ensuring transparency on how funds are used.
Earlier this month, Fletcher launched the UN’s Global Humanitarian Appeal for 2026, requesting $23 billion to assist 87 million people in urgent need, focusing on crises in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Haiti, and Myanmar. However, funding levels have declined in recent years, and in 2025, the UN appeal of over $45 billion was only funded to $12 billion, helping 98 million people — 25 million fewer than the previous year.
The UN stressed that the reduced appeal does not reflect a decrease in humanitarian needs, estimating that 240 million people worldwide remain in urgent need of assistance due to conflict, disease, disasters, and climate change.
