WHO Faces $2.5 Billion Shortfall as U.S. Withdrawal Deepens Financial Crisis

Budget cuts and international contributions fall short, threatening critical global health programs and multilateral cooperation.

The World Health Organization (WHO) faces a $2.5 billion funding gap for its 2026-2027 budget, with $1.9 billion still unfunded despite reducing its biennial budget from $5.3 billion to $4.2 billion.
The financial crisis stems from the United States' withdrawal and non-payment of $260 million in dues for 2024-2025, which eliminated 14% of the WHO's funding.
Germany has pledged an additional €2 million, bringing its total contribution for 2024-2025 to over $317 million, but this remains insufficient to address the deficit.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has announced operational cuts starting at headquarters, with reductions expected to impact all levels and regions of the organization.
The funding shortfall jeopardizes critical health initiatives, including HIV/AIDS programs, which could result in millions of additional infections and deaths globally.