UNITED NATIONS (AP) 鈥� The Trump administration on Thursday announced $1.8 billion in additional funding for U.N. humanitarian aid, saying the money will be earmarked for life-saving aid to victims of natural disasters, famine and 鈥減eople who are truly in critical need.鈥�
The money will be allocated over the coming year and adds to the in December. Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said at a press conference that the new funding is just 鈥渢he latest step.鈥�
The money is a fraction of what the U.S. has contributed in the past but reflects what President Donald Trump’s administration believes is still a generous amount that will maintain America鈥檚 status as the world鈥檚 .
The Trump administration has , prompting U.N. agencies to slash spending, aid projects and thousands of jobs. Other traditional U.N. donors like Britain, France, Germany and Japan also have reduced aid allocations.
U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher called his agency 鈥渙verstretched, underresourced and literally under attack鈥� and reiterated its 2026 plan to reach 87 million of the world鈥檚 most needy at a cost of $23 billion 鈥� even though 300 million people need humanitarian help.
Before Waltz鈥檚 announcement, he said, the U.N. had raised about $7.4 billion. He called the United States 鈥渢he single largest national donor鈥� to the United Nations.
Waltz slammed what he called a narrative in the media that the U.S. has walked away from helping people in need, saying it’s “absolutely false.鈥�
Under Trump, the U.S. has been taking an to paying dues to the United Nations, it believes align with Trump鈥檚 agenda and avoiding those that no longer . The State Department has said 鈥渋ndividual U.N. agencies will need to adapt, shrink, or die.鈥�
Critics say the Western aid cutbacks have been shortsighted, driven , displacement or disease, and harmed around the world.
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