The US and the UN have signed an agreement that envisages a change in Washington's approach to funding the world organization's humanitarian programs. This was announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
According to him, the US “will not use taxpayer funds to fund wasteful, anti-American or ineffective“ programs. “Today, the State Department and the UN signed an agreement that radically reforms the way the United States designs, funds, and oversees the UN’s humanitarian work to save more lives with fewer American taxpayer dollars,” Rubio wrote in X.
As the US Secretary of State noted, “the new model will better share the UN’s humanitarian burden with other developed countries“. It also requires the UN to “reduce bloated spending, eliminate duplication, and introduce new mechanisms for measuring effectiveness, accountability, and oversight“.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher announced earlier that the US government had contributed a record $2 billion to humanitarian funds managed by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). According to the Associated Press, this amount is almost nine times less than Washington's maximum contribution to humanitarian aid programs within the world organization in previous years.
In mid-December, Tatyana Valovaya, director-general of the UN Office in Geneva, announced that the world organization's budget in 2026 would be reduced by 15% compared to 2025, and staff would be cut by 18% against the backdrop of a budget deficit.
The UN is facing a budget deficit due to non-payment of contributions by some countries, including the United States, which is delaying transfers of approximately $3 billion. This circumstance is forcing the organization to cut costs, freeze staff recruitment and reduce humanitarian programs, including assistance to children and refugees.