The World Food Program (WFP) and other UN agencies must cut jobs, primarily due to cuts in funding from the US, said officials warned that the cuts would have a serious impact on aid programs around the world.
It was verified by two UN authorities who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal personnel decisions, according to an internal memo obtained by the Associated Press.
Other organizations, such as UNICEF, the UN Children’s Agency and the Humanitarian Agency punchline, have announced or planned cuts that will affect staff and about 20% of their overall budget.
The cuts to UN agencies underscore the impact of President Donald Trump’s decision to bring the United States back from its position as the world’s largest aid donor.
Trump has given billionaire engineer Ellie Musk and his new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) authority to reshape the federal government, focusing on reducing foreign aid.
Even before the regime movement, many donor states reduced humanitarian spending, and UN agencies struggled to achieve funding goals.
World Food Program
WFP, the world’s largest humanitarian organization, is expected to receive 46% of its US funding in 2024, cutting up to 30% of its staff.
One WFP official called the “largest” cut seen by the agency in 25 years, and as a result, the business will disappear or shrink.
United Nations spokesman Stephen Dujaric said Secretary General Antonio Guterres was “deeply plagued by dramatic funding cuts.”
In a statement, the organization, asked about the planned reductions, said in a statement: “In this challenging donor environment, WFP will prioritize limited resources on critical programs that will bring urgently needed food aid to 343 million people who are suffering from hunger and increasingly facing starvation.”
An internal memo said HR cuts “impact all regions, divisions and levels” for agents.
It suggests that further downsizing may be required, and the agency said it will review its “portfolio of programs.”
UN High Commissioner for Refugees
The UN refugee agency provides support to around 43.7 million refugees around the world among others among the 122 million people who have been forced out of their homes due to conflicts and natural disasters.
The agency manager said it would reduce its headquarters and local offices by 30% to reduce costs and 50% to lower senior-level positions.
In a statement, the agency said it “needs to significantly reduce the workforce,” including downsizing its headquarters and local offices.
UNHCR said some country offices will be closed, but that didn’t give an immediate figure of how many staff members will be cut.
“The impact of this fundraising crunch on refugee lives is already devastating and will be much worse,” the agency said. Programs that provide food, clean water, medicines, emergency shelters and other services will “reduce or suspend.”
For example, the cuts in funding have reduced access to clean water for at least half a million displaced people in Sudan, increasing the risk of cholera and other disease outbreaks.
“It affects our operations, the size of our organization and, most worryingly, those we are called to protect.”
“It is important to prioritize the happiness and safety of refugees, displaced people and stateless people, as we always have.”
The UNHCR office in Lebanon, home to one million refugees from Syria, is only 15% funded, spokesman Lisa Abou Khaledo said.
This month, cash assistance to 347,000 refugees has to be stopped, with the remaining 200,000 funding going through June, she said.
It also stopped primary health services for around 40,000 refugees.
UNICEF
The UN Children’s Agency told the Associated Press in a statement it expects funding to be at least 20% less in 2025 compared to 2025.
“As some donors have significantly reduced financial support for UNICEF and our partners and have made more broadly less contributions to international aid, the hard-earned profits and future progress for future children are at risk,” a UNICEF spokesman said.
The organization has already implemented efficiency measures, but it said “more cost-cutting steps will be needed.”
Authorities are considering “all aspects” of vast operations across more than 190 countries and territories, focusing on advocating policies that save lives, provide life-saving humanitarian assistance and promote child rights.
International Migration Agency
Last month, the UN agency said it suffered a 30% decline in annual funding, mainly due to US cuts.
He said it has concluded a program that will impact 6,000 people and reduce staff at its headquarters by 20%.
