UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher addressed the press in New York regarding the impact of United States humanitarian funding on global relief operations. He thanked U.S. Representative to the United Nations Mike Waltz and U.S. Under Secretary for Foreign Assistance, Humanitarian Affairs, and Religious Freedom Jeremy Lewin for their continued support toward life-saving humanitarian work across multiple crisis regions.
Fletcher recalled the humanitarian response plan announced earlier for 2026, which aimed to provide life-saving support to 87 million people with a funding requirement of $23 billion. He emphasized that despite the large figure, the amount represented only a small fraction of global spending on defense, bonuses, and consumer products. He explained that the humanitarian community remains committed to delivering this fully prioritized and costed plan.
The relief chief outlined three major priorities guiding the humanitarian strategy. These included protecting humanitarian principles such as neutrality and impartiality, reforming the humanitarian system to adapt to changing global realities, and securing sufficient funding during a period of declining global humanitarian contributions. He stressed that more than 300 million people worldwide currently require humanitarian assistance while funding levels continue to decline.
Fletcher also highlighted the dangers faced by humanitarian workers in conflict zones. He referred to attacks on OCHA convoys near the front lines in Ukraine and called for full accountability and stronger protection for humanitarian operations. According to him, humanitarian agencies are increasingly under pressure, underfunded, and directly threatened while responding to escalating crises.
A major focus of the briefing was the announcement of a $2 billion U.S. funding allocation made in December. Fletcher stated that the funding arrived at a critical moment when humanitarian supply chains and operations were at risk due to severe budget cuts. He noted that the contribution supported 18 crisis-affected countries across several regions and significantly expanded pooled humanitarian funding, including in countries where available resources had previously been extremely limited.
Fletcher shared that humanitarian organizations had already raised $7.38 billion from 65 Member States and other public and private sources. Most importantly, he announced that during the first four months of the year, humanitarian agencies had successfully reached 14.4 million people with life-saving assistance. He described this achievement as a major milestone for the global humanitarian community.
The briefing detailed how the funding was being used to deliver essential support. Millions of people received food assistance and access to safe water supplies, while hundreds of health facilities continued operating with humanitarian backing. Large numbers of households also benefited from direct cash assistance programs, which Fletcher described as one of the fastest and most effective forms of emergency support. In addition, children suffering from severe malnutrition received critical nutritional treatment.
Fletcher emphasized that women and girls remain among the most vulnerable populations during humanitarian crises. He noted that part of the funding was specifically directed toward creating safe spaces and providing support services for survivors of sexual violence. He stressed the importance of maintaining protection measures for women and girls in all humanitarian responses.
Another major theme of the speech was humanitarian reform. Fletcher explained that the humanitarian system is working to improve efficiency by reducing duplication, cutting bureaucracy, and ensuring more resources reach people in need directly. He also highlighted efforts to give more decision-making authority to local country teams and humanitarian coordinators who are closest to affected communities and best positioned to understand urgent needs.
Transparency and accountability were also presented as key priorities. Fletcher announced the creation of an online portal that allows donors and the public to track how humanitarian funds are being spent, which organizations are implementing projects, and what results are being achieved. He described this initiative as an important innovation for improving accountability within the humanitarian sector.
The UN relief chief acknowledged that humanitarian agencies continue learning and adapting as operations progress. He said ongoing reviews are helping identify areas for improvement, including stronger support for women and girls, better community engagement, enhanced oversight mechanisms, and improved impact tracking systems. He also highlighted the importance of cooperation with Member States, particularly the United States, to secure ceasefires, improve humanitarian access, and reach populations in urgent need.
Fletcher further stated that humanitarian operations would expand to additional countries facing severe crises. At the same time, he stressed the importance of continued investment in recovery, resilience, and long-term development efforts so countries can eventually transition from emergency aid toward stable national recovery systems.
In closing, Fletcher welcomed the latest U.S. funding allocation, describing the United States as the largest national donor to humanitarian operations. He said the additional support would help save millions of lives, strengthen humanitarian reforms, and preserve the neutrality and impartiality of humanitarian action. He concluded by praising humanitarian workers worldwide for their courage and dedication despite growing global challenges.
