US slashes UN humanitarian aid to $2bn, huge cut as Trump demands reforms

The United States has said it will contribute only $2bn in United Nations humanitarian assistance – a small fraction of its traditional funding scope – as President Donald Trump’s administration continues to heavily downsize its role in foreign aid. The reduced commitment, released on Monday, is a sharp contrast to the assistance of up to $17bn the US has provided as the UN’s leading funder in recent years, about $8 -$ 10bn of which were voluntary contributions, US officials say.

It comes as critics have levelled sharp criticism against the US’s dramatic aid reductions under Trump, leading to deaths and hunger as millions around the world lose shelter, sustenance and other essential aid. The $2bn will create a pool of funds that can be directed at specific countries or crises, with 17 countries – including Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Syria and Ukraine – initially targeted. Afghanistan is not included on the list, nor is Palestine, which officials say will be covered by money included in Trump’s yet-to-be-completed Gaza plan, dire outcomes as Western countries pull back aid.

Earlier this month, the UN launched a 2026 appeal for $23bn – half the amount it needs – as the extent of Western funding losses became clear. The UN had previously warned in June it would be forced to enact substantial programme reductions amid “the deepest funding cuts ever” to the international aid sector. Trump has effectively dismantled the US’s primary platform for foreign aid, the US Agency for International Development (USAID), as his administration has called upon UN agencies to “adapt, shrink or die” in response to its approach.