UN Aid Chief warns of Dire Consequences as Reduced Humanitarian Assistance

Tom Fletcher, the head of the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs, informed reporters that the recent reductions in humanitarian aid funding are creating a “seismic shock” worldwide, as 300 million individuals are in need of assistance.

“Many lives will be lost due to the diminishing aid,” stated Fletcher, who serves as the UN’s Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, during a news briefing at the UN headquarters in New York on Wednesday. “Currently, programs across the humanitarian sector are being halted,” he added. “Staff layoffs are occurring at this moment; I believe that 10 percent of our colleagues in non-governmental organizations were let go in February,” he noted.

Fletcher also highlighted his recent visit to Gaza, mentioning that “supplies are clearly depleting at an alarming rate” due to Israel’s renewed blockade on the entry of food, medicine, fuel, and other essential goods into the region.

“The lack of fuel means that incubators are being turned off, which is already a pressing issue and will soon escalate into a humanitarian crisis,” he remarked. Reflecting on his visit to Gaza, Fletcher described one of the “most shocking sights” he encountered while driving in: stray dogs scavenging through the debris.

“I don’t believe anything can truly prepare you for that,” he said, referring to the sight of these dogs searching for the remains of individuals trapped under the rubble of bombed buildings.

Fletcher’s press conference occurred shortly after United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that the US would be terminating 83 percent of its programs under the US Agency for International Development (USAID) globally.

Although the reductions in US aid have been the most significant, Fletcher noted that other nations are also reducing their relief budgets.

“It is not solely the American government. I find myself dedicating more time than anticipated in other donor capitals to advocate for our initiatives,” he remarked.

“What I can assert is that over the years, indeed decades, the US has established itself as a humanitarian superpower, and its funding has been instrumental in saving hundreds of millions of lives,” he continued. 

Fletcher, who previously served as the British ambassador to Lebanon, did not specify which countries had made cuts to their aid. However, at the end of February, the United Kingdom announced a reduction in its aid spending to allocate more funds to its military. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that the government would “fully fund our increased investment in defense” by decreasing aid spending from 0.5 percent of gross national income to 0.3 percent by 2027. According to The Guardian, these cuts from the UK are estimated to total around six billion pounds ($7.7 billion).

The transition from aid to defense will result in the United Kingdom increasing its military expenditure by £13.4 billion ($17 billion) annually starting in 2027, as stated by Starmer.

Other nations have similarly reduced their aid budgets, including the right-wing government of the Netherlands, which announced in November of the previous year a plan to decrease its foreign aid allocation by approximately one billion euros ($1.09 billion) over a span of five years.

Fletcher indicated that the United Nations humanitarian agency will respond to its diminished funding by concentrating on “absolutely essential life-saving efforts in the most critical areas,” such as Gaza.

However, numerous organizations are cautioning that the consequences may be felt more broadly.

Last week, the World Health Organization warned that cuts from the United States could hinder progress in combating the world’s “deadliest infectious disease,” tuberculosis.

Additionally, Ebola monitoring efforts in Africa are at risk, as non-governmental organizations previously supported by USAID have been compelled to cease their operations.

Health professionals and aid organizations have also expressed concerns that reductions in U.S. funding for HIV/AIDS initiatives in various African nations could result in hundreds of thousands of fatalities across the continent.