The United States has pledged an additional $1.8 billion in humanitarian aid to the United Nations for 2026, bringing its total commitment to $3.8 billion.
However, the pledge is still far less than the US contributed before Donald Trump’s presidency.
US Ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, announced the funding during a press conference with UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher, highlighting reforms and progress made in global aid efforts.
The pledge comes after the US, under the Trump administration, drastically cut foreign aid and agreed last December to fund $2 billion for UN humanitarian programmes in 18 countries in exchange for commitments to improve efficiency. About 88% of that aid has reportedly been distributed.
Washington has criticised UN aid programmes for allegedly undermining US values and priorities by supporting “radical social ideologies.”
Despite the cuts, the US remained the largest donor to global humanitarian plans in 2025, contributing $2.7 billion—significantly lower than the $11 billion provided in 2024, according to UN figures.
The funding shortfall comes as 250 million people globally face urgent needs due to wars, epidemics, natural disasters, and the impact of climate change.
The UN had initially requested $33 billion to assist 135 million people in 2026.
Facing dwindling resources, the UN revised its target in December, seeking $23 billion to aid 87 million of the world's most vulnerable individuals.
Thus far, only $7.3 billion of this request has been secured, enabling support for 14.4 million people since January. Fletcher welcomed the new contribution from the United States as critical to meeting growing humanitarian demands.
