The United States has pledged $2bn (£1.5bn) in humanitarian aid but attached stringent conditions, demanding that the United Nations ‘adapt, shrink or die’ by implementing reforms and eliminating waste. The money must be channelled through a pooled fund under the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) rather than individual agencies.
The aid is earmarked for 17 priority countries chosen by the Trump administration, excluding Afghanistan and Yemen despite their profound humanitarian crises. Aid experts have criticised the terms as a ‘despicable’ way of viewing humanitarianism, with researcher Themrise Khan stating that the UN is ‘literally bowing down’ to Washington.
Analysts express concern that the conditions give Washington excessive political control. Ronny Patz, an independent UN finance analyst, warned that the selected list of countries ‘solidifies a massively shrunk UN humanitarian system’, leaving little flexibility for future crises. Thomas Byrnes of MarketImpact noted the pledge is significantly less than the $3.38bn the US gave in 2025 under the previous administration, and that it may not materialise if the UN fails to meet US expectations.
Byrnes suggested the funding mechanism centralises control, allowing the US to dictate distribution. Patz cautioned that the $2bn is ‘promised, but not given’, raising doubts about whether the UN will ever receive it given the tough conditions.
