The United States has pledged $2 billion in humanitarian assistance to the United Nations, according to a U.S. State Department official, following sweeping foreign aid reductions introduced by the Trump administration in 2025.
The pledge comes amid a deepening funding crisis at the United Nations, as the United States and other major Western donors scale back overseas assistance while redirecting resources towards defence and security priorities. Germany and several other traditional donors have also reduced contributions, intensifying financial pressure on the global aid system.
Although Washington confirmed the $2 billion commitment, no details were provided on how the funds would be distributed among U.N. agencies or whether further financial support would be announced.
U.N. figures show that total U.S. humanitarian contributions dropped sharply in 2025 to approximately $3.38 billion, representing about 14.8 per cent of global humanitarian funding. This marks a steep decline from $14.1 billion in 2024 and a high of $17.2 billion recorded in 2022.
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The funding squeeze has coincided with rising humanitarian needs worldwide. Earlier this month, the United Nations launched its 2026 global aid appeal, seeking $23 billion to assist 87 million vulnerable people. The target is less than half the $47 billion requested for 2025, underscoring the scale of shrinking donor support despite escalating crises.
U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher has warned that the organisation’s response capacity is stretched to breaking point, forcing aid agencies to make “brutal choices” in determining which populations receive assistance amid limited resources.
