UN aid agencies face multiple uncertainties as organization turns 80

As the United Nations celebrates its 80th anniversary this month, its humanitarian agencies are grappling with one of the most significant funding crises in their history. The United States, under the Trump administration, along with other Western donors, has drastically reduced international aid budgets. Some nations have opted to redirect funds toward national defence instead while political dynamics have also contributed to the efficiency of their work.

Amid shrinking resources, competition for remaining aid dollars has intensified. A diplomat from a leading donor country, speaking anonymously, told the AP that UN agencies have begun blaming one another as they fight over limited funds. These tensions, humanitarian groups warn, weaken the UN’s critical role in saving lives — from distributing food, tents, and clean water in crisis zones like Sudan, Myanmar, Syria, and Venezuela, to eradicating smallpox in the past.

“It’s the most abrupt upheaval of humanitarian work in the UN in my 40 years as a humanitarian worker, by far,” said Jan Egeland, former UN humanitarian aid chief and now head of the Norwegian Refugee Council. “And it will make the gap between exploding needs and contributions to aid work even bigger.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has asked UN agency leaders to consider slashing 20% of their workforce. His New York office has also circulated broad proposals to reform the entire humanitarian aid structure — changes that could significantly alter how the UN delivers assistance.

Often working in dangerous and remote areas, the article points out that humanitarian staff go where others don’t — collecting disease data in slums or bringing water to drought-affected communities.

The UN has labelled 2024 the deadliest year on record for humanitarian personnel, mainly due to the ongoing war in Gaza. Earlier this year, the UN suspended its aid work in Houthi-controlled Yemen after dozens of aid workers were detained.

Supporters of UN aid programs argue they have helped millions deal with crises related to poverty, hunger, illness, and conflict. But critics say many operations have become bloated and inefficient, plagued by excessive bureaucracy and limited accountability. They argue that long-term Western aid has created dependency and fostered corruption in some regions, preventing self-sufficient development. Critics, however, also note that some aid programs meant to be temporary have stretched on indefinitely without clear timelines.

The US has historically made up a large portion — around 40% — of the budgets for Nobel Peace Prize-winning agencies like the World Food Programme (WFP) and UN refugee and migration organizations. So when the Trump administration slashed the overall foreign assistance budget to about $60 billion, the impact was substantial. In response, various UN agencies have cut thousands of jobs and restructured aid delivery strategies.

“It’s too brutal what has happened,” said Egeland, referring to the drastic budget reductions. “However, it has forced us to make priorities ... what I hope is that we will be able to shift more of our resources to the front lines of humanity and have less people sitting in offices talking about the problem.”

Political factor

With the UN Security Council divided over conflicts like those in Ukraine and the Middle East, its political influence has waned. In contrast, its humanitarian programs — like vaccinating children or sheltering refugees — have remained a beacon of global cooperation. But even that light is beginning to dim.

Beyond financial and security challenges, politics can disrupt aid work. UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, has provided education, healthcare, and food in places like Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, the West Bank, and Gaza since 1948. However, as the article recalls, Israel accuses UNRWA schools of promoting anti-Israel sentiment, a charge the agency denies. Israel also claims Hamas diverts aid in Gaza, though UN officials maintain that assistance reaches those in need.

As national interests increasingly override global collaboration, the future of UN humanitarian work hangs in the balance. Experts agree the power to shape that future lies with the UN's 193 member states.

“We need to take that debate back into our countries, into our capitals, because it is there that you either empower the UN to act and succeed — or you paralyze it,” said Achim Steiner, administrator of the UN Development Program.

By Nazrin Sadigova