UN slashes Global Aid Appeal amid record funding cuts

The United Nations has announced a drastic reduction in its global humanitarian aid plans for 2025, following what it described as the “deepest funding cuts ever” experienced by the organisation.

In a statement released on Monday, the UN’s humanitarian agency said it was now seeking $29 billion, a significant drop from the $44 billion it initially requested in December. The revised figure, described as a “hyper-prioritised” appeal, comes amid growing crises in regions like Sudan, Gaza, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Myanmar.

The agency blamed the funding shortfall on major cutbacks by donor nations, particularly under the administration of US President Donald Trump, who since assuming office in January, slashed America’s foreign aid contributions. Other donor countries have also reduced support in response to global economic uncertainties.

“Brutal funding cuts leave us with brutal choices,” said Tom Fletcher, head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). “All we ask is 1 per cent of what you chose to spend last year on war. But this isn’t just an appeal for money — it’s a call for global responsibility, for human solidarity, for a commitment to end the suffering.”

So far in 2025, only $5.6 billion — about 13 per cent of the original target — has been received by the UN to tackle rising humanitarian emergencies.

Fletcher added, “We have been forced into a triage of human survival. The math is cruel, and the consequences are heartbreaking. Too many people will not get the support they need, but we will save as many lives as we can with the resources we are given.”

The new plan will see OCHA focusing its limited resources on areas with the most urgent needs, using existing 2025 aid planning to direct support as swiftly as possible where it can do the most good.