Name: U.S. pledges $2 billion to UN aid amid deep foreign assistance cuts
Uploaded: 2025-12-29T15:52:32.625Z
Duration: 1 min 15 s
Description: The United States has announced a $2 billion pledge for UN humanitarian aid, a move the Trump administration calls generous, but critics say falls far short of past commitments.

The United States has announced a $2 billion pledge for UN humanitarian aid, a move the Trump administration calls generous, but critics say falls far short of past commitments.

Washington

The United States has pledged $2 billion to United Nations humanitarian aid, a figure that represents a substantial decrease from previous U.S. commitments, which reached up to $17 billion annually in recent years. The Trump administration described the pledge as generous, but critics and humanitarian workers have raised concerns about the impact of the cuts on global aid programs and staffing.

The funding will be placed into an umbrella fund, allowing the U.S. to exercise tighter control over how the money is distributed. This shift has already led to reductions in aid programs and staff worldwide, with critics warning that the cuts could increase risks of hunger, displacement, and disease, and diminish U.S. influence abroad. The decision comes after a year of crises for U.N. agencies, which have faced additional challenges following widespread aid rejections from the U.S. and other Western nations.

U.S. pledges $2 billion to UN aid amid deep foreign assistance cuts

The U.S. has announced a $2 billion pledge for U.N. humanitarian aid, a move the Trump administration calls generous, but critics say falls short of past commitments. The funding comes as Washington continues to slash foreign assistance, warning U.N. agencies to, quote, adapt, shrink or die amid new financial challenges. The $2 billion will be placed into an umbrella fund, allowing the U.S. to tightly control how money is distributed, a major shift that has alarmed humanitarian workers and already triggered deep cuts to programs and staff worldwide. To put the number in perspective, U.S. humanitarian support for U.N.-backed programs has reached as much as $17 billion a year in recent years. Officials say only $8 to $10 billion of that was voluntary, on top of billions more in mandatory U.N. dues. The administration argues the pledge preserves America's role as the world's largest humanitarian donor, but critics warn the cuts are short-sighted, driving millions closer to hunger, displacement and disease, while weakening U.S. influence abroad. The decision caps a year of crises for U.N. agencies already struggling after sweeping U.S. and Western aid rejections.

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