The Trump administration on Thursday announced an additional $1.8 billion in funding for United Nations humanitarian programs, saying the money will support lifesaving aid for victims of disasters, famine and other severe crises despite sweeping cuts to overall US foreign assistance.
The new contribution, to be distributed over the next year, comes on top of the $2 billion pledged by the administration in December. Mike Waltz said the funding represented “the latest step” in Washington’s humanitarian commitments.
According to the US State Department, the latest package brings total American support for UN humanitarian operations to $3.8 billion across 21 countries. Officials said the funds would prioritize locally run projects aimed at the world’s most vulnerable populations.
The department said earlier funding had already helped deliver “life-saving assistance” to more than 21 million people within four months, with a sharper focus on urgent humanitarian crises.
Still, the contribution is far below historical US aid levels and reflects what President Donald Trump’s administration views as a more targeted and selective approach to international assistance while maintaining America’s position as the world’s largest humanitarian donor.
UN warns of worsening funding crisis
The administration has slashed billions of dollars in foreign aid since Trump returned to office, forcing UN agencies to cut spending, scale back operations and eliminate thousands of jobs. Major donor countries including Britain, France, Germany and Japan have also reduced aid budgets.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher described the global aid system as “overstretched, under-resourced and literally under attack.”
He reiterated the UN’s 2026 humanitarian response plan, which aims to assist 87 million of the world’s most vulnerable people at a projected cost of $23 billion, even though more than 300 million people globally require humanitarian support.
Before the new US pledge, Fletcher said the UN had secured only about $7.4 billion toward that target. He welcomed Washington’s latest contribution and described the United States as “the single largest national donor” to the UN system.
Fletcher also urged governments to increase support for the more than 200 million people expected to miss out on aid this year because of the deepening funding shortfall.
Trump administration defends aid cuts
Waltz argued the administration has pushed major reforms within the UN humanitarian system to reduce costs and improve efficiency, including shared warehouses, vehicle fleets and administrative operations among agencies.
He also rejected criticism that the US was retreating from humanitarian leadership.
“It’s absolutely false,” Waltz said of claims that Washington had abandoned vulnerable populations.
Under Trump, the US has adopted a more selective, issue-based approach to UN funding, supporting agencies and operations viewed as aligned with US priorities while cutting backing for others. The State Department has previously said some UN agencies may need to “adapt, shrink, or die.”
Critics argue the Western retreat from aid spending has worsened hunger, displacement and disease worldwide while weakening American global influence.
The UN says the US still owes roughly $2.2 billion to its regular operating budget and another $1.8 billion for peacekeeping operations, though the Trump administration disputes those figures. Washington paid about $160 million toward the regular budget in February, and Waltz said another “substantial tranche” would be paid soon.
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