NEW YORK — The United Nations is facing a devastating blow as the Trump administration has announced severe funding cuts to many U.N. agencies and humanitarian and development organizations. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged the U.S. government to reconsider these cuts, stating that they will have a detrimental impact on the world’s most vulnerable people.
In a press conference at the United Nations headquarters, Guterres expressed his concern over the reduction of America’s humanitarian role and influence, stating that it will run counter to American interests globally. He called on the United States, as well as other countries that have announced similar cuts, to carefully review their decisions and reverse them.
The U.N. chief did not disclose the exact amount of funding that will be lost, but the United States is the largest single donor in terms of humanitarian funding to the U.N. In 2024, the U.S. provided $14 billion, which accounted for over 40% of the total contributions. In comparison, Germany, the second-largest contributor, provided $2.7 billion, or about 8% of global funding.
The Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, has already slashed $60 billion in overseas assistance as part of its efforts to cut government costs. This includes the closure of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and a shift away from the long-standing U.S. foreign policy of using humanitarian aid as a form of soft power to advance national interests.
These cuts have left many international aid agencies scrambling to continue their programs. Guterres stated that U.N. staff in the field are taking urgent steps to protect as much of their lifesaving work as possible.
He also highlighted the areas where the U.S. cuts would have a significant impact, or have already affected the provision of critical services. In Afghanistan, over 9 million people will miss out on health and protection services, with hundreds of mobile health teams and other services suspended. In South Sudan, funding has run out for programs supporting people who have fled the war in neighboring Sudan. And in Ukraine, cash-based humanitarian assistance has been suspended in key regions.
Guterres reiterated that the U.N.’s top priority remains providing lifesaving aid to those in urgent need and diversifying the pool of donors who support their work. However, he expressed concern over the lack of interest from U.S. officials in engaging on this issue.
According to Guterres’ spokesperson, the U.N. agencies received letters notifying them of the cuts, with most coming from USAID’s acting deputy administrator, Peter Marocco. The U.N. officials have also attempted to engage with U.S. officials at a senior level, but have not seen much interest in discussing the issue.
The spokesperson shared some examples of the agencies that have received termination letters, including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which received 27 letters, the International Office for Migration (IOM), which had 22 out of 25 USAID programs terminated, and the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which had about 50 projects terminated.
The impact of these cuts is far-reaching, with UNAIDS, which provides lifesaving HIV treatment around the world, also receiving a letter from Washington terminating its agreement with the organization with immediate effect. This decision comes after Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s announcement in late January to continue funding UNAIDS while the U.S. foreign assistance review was ongoing and other international assistance was paused.
In response to the termination, UNAIDS released a statement expressing their concern over the impact on the entire HIV response, including the continuity of lifesaving HIV services for people living with and affected by HIV, civil society, and their partners. The United States has been a crucial contributor to the fight against HIV, with its PEPFAR program helping to save over 26 million lives since 2003.
Rubio has stated that going forward, all foreign aid must make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous. A State Department spokesperson also confirmed that over 9,100 foreign assistance-related grants worth over $15.9 billion have been reviewed, with more than 4,100 grants worth nearly $4.4 billion identified for elimination as part of the “America First” agenda, a 28% reduction in total grant value.
The spokesperson added that USAID evaluated 6,200 multiyear awards with a remaining value of $58.2
