The United States has pledged $2bn in humanitarian assistance for tens of millions of people across more than a dozen countries next year, under a new model agreed with the UN aimed at improving efficiency and accountability. The announcement on Monday comes after the Trump administration slashed US aid spending this year, triggering a severe funding crunch for the UN.
The funding will be overseen by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the US State Department said. It will involve signing 17 memorandums of understanding with priority countries identified by the US. However, some key areas such as Yemen, Afghanistan and Gaza are not covered by the new mechanism and will be handled separately, according to UN aid chief Tom Fletcher.
Jeremy Lewin, US under secretary of state for foreign assistance, said further countries would be added over time. A UN spokesperson confirmed that Ukraine, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria and Sudan are among the countries included in the package. Gaza is excluded from Monday's announcement and will be addressed on a separate track, Lewin said, noting that the US had approved over $300m after helping broker a Gaza ceasefire.
The pledge follows a dramatic drop in US humanitarian contributions to the UN, which fell to about $3.38bn in 2025 from $14.1bn the previous year and a peak of $17.2bn in 2022. Other major donors, including Germany, also cut back as they shifted spending to defence. The UN launched a 2026 aid appeal for $23bn, half the amount sought for 2025, reflecting plunging donor support despite record global needs.
Fletcher acknowledged a tough year for the UN but expressed optimism following the US pledge, saying: 'Millions of lives will be saved across 17 countries.' Lewin emphasised that the focus is on life-saving assistance, while climate-related and other non-priority projects will be cut.
