UN Aid Chief Tom Fletcher said that the scale of donor retrenchment had been so large that it has been "forced into a triage of human survival."

"The math is cruel, and the consequences are heart breaking. Too many people will not get the support they need, but we will save as many lives as we can," he said. 

In a statement, the UN said its request prioritises, but does not replace, an earlier appeal for over $47 billion launched in December 2024, before United States President Donald Trump announced major cuts to foreign aid that he has himself described as "devastating". 

Other Western governments, which have previously accounted for the lion's share of humanitarian budgets, are also retrenching as they instead prioritise defence spending. 

The previous UN humanitarian appeal was less than 13% funded nearly halfway through the year, the UN said. 

"All we ask is one percent of what you chose to spend last year on war," said Fletcher. "But this isn't just an appeal for money - it’s a call for global responsibility, for human solidarity, for a commitment to end the suffering," he said. 

--Reuters--