CT Newsroom
United Nations (UN) aid chief Tom Fletcher confirmed that the United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) will reduce its staff by 20% because United States cutting its funding.
As per details, Fletcher announced that OCHA is facing a funding shortage so OCHA will reduce its work and staff in countries like Pakistan, Cameroon, Colombia, Eritrea, Iraq, Libya, Nigeria, Turkey (Gaziantep), and Zimbabwe.
He explained that OCHA will now focus more on a smaller number of countries.
He informed that right now OCHA has about 2,600 staff working in over 60 countries. Because of the funding cut, they plan to reduce to around 2,100 staff in fewer places.
Fletcher told staff that these changes are not because the need for help has gone down, but because funding has been cut.
He said the need for humanitarian help is growing due to war, climate change, disease, and violations of international law.
Fletcher pointed out that the US has been OCHA’s biggest donor for many years. Its $63 million annual contribution would have made up 20% of OCHA’s extra budget in 2025.
Since starting his second term in January, US President Donald Trump’s administration has reduced billions in foreign aid to match his “America First” policy.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently announced a plan to make the UN more efficient and reduce spending as the organization marks its 80th year during a financial crisis.