US plans $2 billion humanitarian aid through UN in 2026

In 2026, the United States plans to provide $2 billion in humanitarian assistance, to be distributed through the United Nations.

The funds will support countries facing humanitarian crises, reaching tens of millions of people confronting hunger and disease in more than a dozen nations next year, as part of a new mechanism for delivering life-saving assistance introduced following major foreign aid cuts by the Trump administration, Caliber.Az reports, citing Reuters.

UN data shows that total US humanitarian contributions to the United Nations dropped to approximately $3.38 billion in 2025, representing about 14.8% of the global total. This marks a sharp decline from $14.1 billion the previous year and a peak of $17.2 billion in 2022.

US and UN officials in Geneva said they plan to sign 17 memorandums of understanding with individual countries identified by the US as priorities.

However, some UN priority regions, including Yemen, Afghanistan, and Gaza, will not receive US funding under the new mechanism, according to UN aid chief Tom Fletcher, who noted that the UN will seek support from other donors to cover these areas.

Jeremy Lewin, State Department Under Secretary for Foreign Assistance, Humanitarian Affairs, and Religious Freedom, said additional countries would be included as more funds are contributed to the mechanism.

By Jeyhun Aghazada