UNICEF projects 20% drop in 2026 funding after US cuts

16/4/2025 7:19

UNICEF has projected that its 2026 budget will shrink by at least 20% compared to 2024, a spokesperson for the U.N. children's agency said on Tuesday, after U.S. President Donald Trump slashed global humanitarian aid.



In 2024, UNICEF had a budget of $8.9 billion and this year it has an estimated budget of $8.5 billion. The funding for 2025 is "evolving," the UNICEF spokesperson said.



"The last few weeks have made clear that humanitarian and development organizations around the world, including many U.N. organizations, are in the midst of a global funding crisis. UNICEF has not been spared," said the spokesperson.



UNICEF did not specifically name the U.S., but Washington has long been the agency's largest donor, contributing more than $800 million in 2024. Since UNICEF was established in 1946, all its executive directors have been American.