The United States has pledged $2 billion to fund UN humanitarian programs, but has warned that the organization must reform its structure and working methods.
The announcement was made yesterday in Geneva by Jeremy Levin, US Assistant Secretary of State for Foreign Assistance, and Tom Fletcher, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator.
Tom Fletcher welcomed the aid, saying that the funding could save millions of lives, but that it was only a small fraction of previous US aid, which in 2022 was about $17 billion.
American officials emphasized that this aid will be allocated to 17 priority countries with specific conditions and focused on them, and that Afghanistan and Yemen are not on this list.
Jeremy Levin claimed that there is evidence of diversion of some aid to the Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan and that no money will reach terrorist groups.
This aid also does not include projects related to climate change, an issue that Levin did not consider to be in America’s interests.
Emphasizing efficiency and avoiding duplication of projects, Levin warned the UN that it must reform or step aside.
In contrast, UN officials emphasized their commitment to transparency, accountability, and efficiency.
Despite concerns about the politicization of aid and its impact on the principle of neutrality, many in the UN consider this $2 billion to be better than nothing.
These restrictions can make it more difficult for aid agencies to operate in countries not on the priority list, and there have already been reports of the closure of maternal and child clinics in Afghanistan and the reduction of food rations for refugees in Sudan.
