(AURN News) – The Trump administration is pledging $2 billion to United Nations humanitarian aid programs, even as it pulls back billions in foreign assistance. The White House says the move reflects a new reality and a message to agencies to change how they operate or risk losing support.
The new funding will not be sent directly to individual aid groups. Instead, the money will be managed through the U.N.’s central humanitarian office, which will decide how and where it is spent. U.S. officials say that gives Washington more oversight and trims waste. Critics say it also concentrates power and slows urgent relief.
The U.S. once gave as much as $17 billion a year to U.N.-backed humanitarian programs. This pledge is a fraction of that, coming at a time when worldwide need is rising extremely fast. Famine has been confirmed in parts of Sudan and Gaza, while floods, droughts and conflicts continue to force families from their homes.
Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.
