The United Nations’ food and refugee agencies warned Monday of crippling service reductions following a collapse in donor funding led by the United States.
An internal email revealed the World Food Programme (WFP) will slash its global workforce by 25 to 30 percent to survive.
Similarly, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) announced it may shrink its activities by one-third, even as African conflicts deepen humanitarian needs.
The funding crisis stems largely from the United States’ sharp aid reductions under President Donald Trump, upending the global humanitarian system.
Since returning to office, Trump’s administration has cut 83 percent of USAID’s humanitarian programs, gutting a crucial $42.8 billion budget.
While other nations have trimmed contributions, America’s dominant share has made its withdrawal especially devastating for Africa and beyond.
WFP, the world’s largest humanitarian agency, plays a critical role in delivering food aid to African war zones and disaster-hit areas.
“The scale of workforce reductions is difficult news,” WFP leadership said, stressing the need to preserve resources for vital operations.
Founded in 1961, WFP had 23,000 staff across 120 countries before the looming cuts, many serving in Africa’s most vulnerable regions.
At the UN Security Council, UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi warned that cuts would gut frontline operations, especially in crisis-plagued African countries.
Grandi noted the US, traditionally the largest donor, has frozen major contributions for 2025, straining the agency’s ability to respond.
“If this trend continues, we will not do more with less. We will simply do less with less,” Grandi cautioned.
Meanwhile, US officials defended the cuts, calling on other nations to increase their humanitarian commitments to Africa and elsewhere.
“Every member state needs to better share the burden,” said acting US Ambassador to the UN Dorothy Shea.
Across Africa, millions now face greater hunger and displacement, as vital lifelines weaken under the weight of political decisions.