FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE – UNICEF expects to reduce its budget by a fifth following significant funding shortfalls, including cuts from its largest donor, the United States.
In 2024, the organization operated on a budget of $8.9 billion.
This year’s budget is projected at $8.5 billion, though funding is still being finalized, a spokesperson told Reuters.
“Recent weeks have clearly shown that humanitarian and development organizations around the world, including many UN organizations, are in the midst of a global funding crisis. UNICEF has not been spared,” the official said.
While UNICEF did not directly reference the United States in its statement, Washington has historically been its largest financial contributor.
The impact of reduced funding comes as humanitarian organizations struggle to maintain aid programs amid growing global crises.