UN humanitarian arm to scale back work amid US funding crisis

The United Nations humanitarian arm has responded to the Trump administration’s foreign aid freeze by halting all hiring and nonessential procurement and scaling back its work to try and focus “on the most urgent crises.” The global aid system has been thrown into chaos by U.S. President Donald Trump’s 90-day aid freeze and stop-work order for USAID programming, with reports of food and medical supplies stuck in limbo and uncertainty over how to apply the waiver for “life-saving humanitarian assistance.” The United States gave 42% of global humanitarian funding last year. Tom Fletcher, who started as the head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, in November, wrote to staff members on Thursday that the organization was still assessing the implications of the “temporary US aid freeze” and was in contact with partners, including U.N. member states, “to manage its impact, share information, and coordinate advocacy.” “Given the uncertainty, we must make changes,” Fletcher wrote in an all-staff email seen by Devex. The email went on to explain that effective immediately and until further notice, OCHA will “reconfigure operational goals to match available resources” and “re-prioritize the 2025 budget, focusing on the most urgent crises and scaling back less critical activities.” Other changes include freezing vacant positions, the hiring of consultants, and all teambuilding and other workshops outside the staff’s duty station. All meetings must now be virtual unless approved by a director and only essential travel is permitted. Nonessential procurement for items such as phones and tablets is also paused, and Fletcher wrote that OCHA will freeze tapping into its Operation Cash Reserve “to preserve it for eventual contingency plans.” Fletcher concluded by telling staff: “OCHA’s resilience has been tested before, and we have found ways to adapt and deliver. Count on my full support. Thank you for all you are doing.” OCHA has been contacted for comment.