UNITED NATIONS: The Trump administration on Thursday announced $1.8 billion more toward UN humanitarian aid, saying it will be earmarked for lifesaving aid to victims of natural disasters, famine and “people who are truly in critical need” even as the US has cut foreign assistance overall.
The money will be allocated over the coming year and adds to the $2 billion that the Trump administration pledged in December. Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said at a press conference that the new funding is just “the latest step.”
The new contribution brings total US support for UN humanitarian programs to $3.8 billion across 21 countries, according to the State Department, which said the money would be prioritized for locally run projects that help the most vulnerable populations.
The department said the initial contribution delivered “life-saving assistance to 21.1 million people more quickly, more efficiently, and with greater focus on those facing the most acute humanitarian needs in less than four months.”
Still, the money is a fraction of what the US has contributed in the past and reflects what President Donald Trump’s administration believes is still a generous amount that will maintain America’s status as the world’s largest humanitarian donor.
