Overview
- Washington and the UN humanitarian office signed a memorandum in Geneva on Dec. 29 to channel $2 billion to 17 emergency programs in 2026.
- The funds will flow through OCHA rather than individual UN agencies, with U.S. officials touting tighter oversight and fewer duplications.
- Details on country-by-country allocations and operational mechanics have not been fully released, with officials saying the framework will be refined in 2026.
- The commitment is far below recent U.S. levels, as UN data show American humanitarian contributions fell to about $3.38 billion in 2025 from $14.1 billion in 2024.
- OCHA’s 2026 appeal seeks $23 billion to assist 87 million people after a severely underfunded 2025; Tom Fletcher called the deal important relief, and reports note Gaza is not on the initial U.S.-backed list, which includes El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Ukraine, Myanmar, Syria, the DRC and Sudan.