UNICEF expects 20% drop in humanitarian aid amid global cuts

Global cuts to development aid ill already hit UNICEF's budget this year, with serious consequences for children, the UN agency warned.

In remarks published on Wednesday, Executive Director Catherine Russell told the RND media group that the agency expected a decline of at least 20% in global funds for humanitarian and long-term programmes for children and families. She added that while UNICEF tried to make every dollar count, children would inevitably suffer.

In July, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the official end of foreign aid through the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The agency was one of the world's largest aid organizations worldwide, running numerous programmes across the globe — from HIV/AIDS assistance to post-conflict reconstruction.

Germany also cut its development aid budget for cost-saving reasons.

In December 2024, UNICEF reported that it would need around $9.9 billion in 2025 for emergency aid to benefit 109 million children in 146 conflict- and crisis-affected countries.

Russell warned that reduced funding could lead to fewer vaccinations, weaker medical care and interruptions in schooling, which could in turn destabilize countries and increase the likelihood of conflicts.

A study published in the medical journal The Lancet concluded that the cuts to USAID could result in more than 14 million additional deaths over the next five years, including around 5 million children under the age of five.