Overview
- The memorandum, signed in Geneva by U.S. humanitarian chief Jeremy Lewin and UN relief chief Tom Fletcher, channels 2026 funding through OCHA.
- The $2 billion targets 17 programs spanning countries including El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Ukraine, Myanmar, Syria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sudan.
- Gaza is not included, as Washington and Israel question UNRWA’s role, according to officials and media reports.
- U.S. officials cast the pact as a reform to cut duplication, tighten accountability and deliver assistance “two times more efficient.”
- The pledge feeds into OCHA’s $23 billion prioritized appeal to reach 87 million people in 2026 after a year of sharply reduced U.S. giving and widespread underfunding.