The United States has announced a $2 billion pledge for United Nations humanitarian aid, even as President Donald Trump’s administration continues deep cuts to U.S. foreign assistance and urges U.N. agencies to “adapt, shrink or die” amid tightening global finances. While far smaller than past U.S. contributions, the administration says the funding reflects what it considers a generous commitment that preserves Washington’s status as the world’s largest humanitarian donor. In recent years, U.S. humanitarian support for U.N.-backed programs has reached as much as $17 billion annually, according to U.N. data.
The pledge will create an umbrella fund managed by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), rather than separate allocations to individual agencies. The move is central to U.S. demands for sweeping reforms across the U.N. system, changes that critics say have already forced sharp reductions in aid programs, services, and jobs.
The announcement comes after a crisis year for major U.N. bodies such as the World Food Program, UNHCR, and the International Organization for Migration, which have received billions less from the United States than under the previous Biden administration, or even during Trump’s first term. Other Western donors have also scaled back funding.
Despite shrinking aid budgets, humanitarian needs have surged globally, with famine reported in parts of Sudan and Gaza, and climate-linked floods, droughts, and disasters displacing thousands worldwide. Critics argue the cuts are shortsighted, worsening hunger and disease while eroding U.S. soft power.
Under the new arrangement, OCHA chief Tom Fletcher will play a central role in directing aid. The plan builds on a “humanitarian reset” launched last year to improve efficiency and accountability. “They are going to control the spigot,” a senior State Department official said, describing a push for “more consolidated leadership authority” in U.N. aid delivery.
“This humanitarian reset at the United Nations should deliver more aid with fewer tax dollars, providing more focused, results-driven assistance aligned with U.S foreign policy,” said U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Michael Waltz. The State Department added that the agreement requires the U.N. to reduce “bureaucratic overhead, unnecessary duplication, and ideological creep,” warning that “individual U.N. agencies will need to adapt, shrink, or die.”
Initially, pooled funding will target 17 countries, including Bangladesh, Congo, Haiti, Syria and Ukraine, though Afghanistan and the Palestinian territories are excluded. Fletcher welcomed the deal, saying, “At a moment of immense global strain, the United States is demonstrating that it is a humanitarian superpower, offering hope to people who have lost everything.”
