Trump administration pledges US$1.8 billion more for UN humanitarian aid

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz walks from the West Wing at the White House, April 8, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

UNITED NATIONS — The Trump administration on Thursday announced US$1.8 billion in additional funding for UN humanitarian aid, saying the money will be earmarked for life-saving aid to victims of natural disasters, famine and “people who are truly in critical need.”

The money will be allocated over the coming year and adds to the $2 billion that the Trump administration pledged in December. Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said at a press conference that the new funding is just “the latest step.”

The new contribution brings total U.S. support for UN humanitarian programs to $3.8 billion across 21 countries, according to the State Department, which said the money would be prioritized for locally run projects that assist the most vulnerable populations.

The department said the initial contribution had been “a resounding success, delivering life-saving assistance to 21.1 million people more quickly, more efficiently, and with greater focus on those facing the most acute humanitarian needs in less than four months.”

Still, the money is a fraction of what the U.S. has contributed in the past and reflects what U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration believes is still a generous amount that will maintain America’s status as the world’s largest humanitarian donor.

The Trump administration has cut billions in U.S. foreign aid, prompting UN agencies to slash spending, aid projects and thousands of jobs. Other traditional UN donors like Britain, France, Germany and Japan also have reduced aid allocations.

UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher called his agency “overstretched, under resourced and literally under attack” and reiterated its 2026 plan to reach 87 million of the world’s most needy at a cost of $23 billion -- even though 300 million people need humanitarian help.

Before Waltz’s announcement, he said, the UN had raised about $7.4 billion. He called the United States “the single largest national donor” to the United Nations.

Waltz slammed what he called a narrative in the media that the U.S. has walked away from helping people in need, saying it’s “absolutely false.”

Under Trump, the U.S. has been taking an a la carte approach to paying dues to the United Nations, picking which operations and agencies it believes align with Trump’s agenda and avoiding those that no longer serve U.S. interests. The State Department has said that “individual UN agencies will need to adapt, shrink, or die.”

Critics say the Western aid cutbacks have been shortsighted, driven millions toward hunger, displacement or disease, and harmed U.S. soft power around the world.

Edith M. Lederer, The Associated Press