U.S. pledges $2 billion in aid as Trump administration warns agencies to ‘adapt or die’

The United States has announced a $2 billion pledge for UN humanitarian aid, which is a significant decrease from the country's previous contributions. The money will be used to create an umbrella fund that will be distributed to individual agencies and priorities, as part of the US demands for drastic changes across the world body. The US has been slashing its foreign assistance and has warned UN agencies to adapt, shrink, or die in the face of new financial realities. The $2 billion pledge is only a fraction of the traditional US humanitarian funding for UN-backed programs, which has run as high as $17 billion annually in recent years. Critics argue that the Western aid cutbacks have been shortsighted and have harmed US soft power around the world. The move comes after a crisis year for many UN organizations, including its refugee, migration, and food aid agencies, which have been forced to slash spending and jobs due to reduced funding. The US is seeking to consolidate aid delivery systems and wants to see more consolidated leadership authority in UN aid delivery systems. The plan aims to deliver more aid with fewer tax dollars and provide more focused, results-driven assistance aligned with US foreign policy. The agreement requires the UN to consolidate humanitarian functions to reduce bureaucratic overhead and unnecessary duplication, and individual UN agencies will need to adapt, shrink, or die. The reform project will help establish pools of funding that can be directed to specific crises or countries in need, with 17 countries initially targeted, including Bangladesh, Congo, and Syria.