EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, has welcomed a decision by the US government to boost its UN humanitarian aid by nearly $2 billion.
The United States has announced an additional $1.8 billion in humanitarian funding for UN aid operations coordinated through OCHA, taking total US support for the agency’s programmes to $3.8 billion across 21 countries.
The funding is for OCHA’s country-based pooled funds — pots of money managed in-country to support humanitarian projects — and “life-saving humanitarian assistance activities.”
The announcement follows a December 2025 “Humanitarian Reset” framework agreement between the United States and OCHA.
Lahbib said in a statement on Friday that she welcomed the US commitment and described it as “a signal of solidarity with vulnerable populations across the world”.
She declared the EU was ready to work closely with the United States on responses to humanitarian crises worldwide.
Principles and coordination
The statement said humanitarian support was needed for organisations delivering aid to people affected by conflict, displacement, food insecurity and natural hazards.
It also called for “principled humanitarian action” based on humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence, and said coordination among donors and humanitarian actors was needed to help ensure aid reaches those most in need.
The EU would continue working with partners to uphold international humanitarian law, protect civilians and support humanitarian access in crisis contexts, Lahbib said.
