UN humanitarian agency to cut 20% of workforce amid funding crisis

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
12 Apr 2025 13:15

As part of the cost-cutting measures, OCHA will scale back or withdraw operations in Cameroon, Colombia, Eritrea, Iraq, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkey, and Zimbabwe.

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People displaced in a camp on the outskirts of Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, March 13, 2024 (AP)

The United Nations’ emergency and disaster response agency, OCHA, announced on Friday that it will reduce its global workforce by 20% and scale back operations in nine countries due to a severe funding crisis and growing global needs.

This comes as humanitarian organizations from across the world have been reeling since Donald Trump returned as president in January and abruptly halted most US foreign assistance money.

In a letter shared on the agency's website, OCHA head Tom Fletcher described the cuts as “brutal", caused by a nearly $60 million funding gap for 2025, alongside rising humanitarian demands.

As part of the cost-cutting measures, OCHA will scale back or withdraw operations in Cameroon, Colombia, Eritrea, Iraq, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkey, and Zimbabwe while focusing on "dynamic and full responses" in the locations where it continues to operate.

Approximately 500 staff members from OCHA’s 2,600-strong workforce across more than 60 countries will be laid off. The agency has already implemented austerity measures, including a hiring freeze and travel restrictions, saving $3.7 million, according to Najwa Mekki, OCHA's communications director.

Fletcher emphasized that the cuts stem from financial constraints, not a reduction in humanitarian needs. “The humanitarian community was already underfunded, overstretched and literally, under attack. Now, we face a wave of brutal cuts,” he wrote, stressing that these measures are necessary to sustain operations.

The agency plans to adopt a "lighter, faster" model, focusing on crisis response, sector reform, and humanitarian leadership. These changes align with the UN’s broader “Humanitarian Reset” — a 10-point plan adopted in February — and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ UN80 reform initiative.

While OCHA justifies the cuts as essential for sustainability, aid groups have expressed concern over reduced capacity in crisis zones. An official with Iraq’s Al Amal Association warned that OCHA’s cuts could severely impact humanitarian efforts in Iraq and that the organization could also face staff layoffs without OCHA's support.

Fletcher defended the restructuring, stating that OCHA must focus on coordinating efforts rather than replicating them. “We believe passionately in what we do,” he wrote, “but we cannot continue to do it all.”

WHO warns global aid cuts may spike maternal deaths

More women are at risk of dying from pregnancy and childbirth complications due to aid cuts from wealthy nations, which could have “pandemic-like effects,” UN agencies warned last week.

A new UN report on maternal mortality trends found that pregnant women in war zones face an “alarmingly high” risk—five times greater than in other areas. Globally, maternal deaths fell by 40% between 2000 and 2023, but progress has slowed since 2016. In 2023 alone, an estimated 260,000 women died from pregnancy-related causes.

The authors of the report warned of a “threat of major backsliding” amid growing challenges. This year’s US aid cuts have already led to clinic closures, job losses among health workers, and disrupted supply chains for essential medicines treating hemorrhage, pre-eclampsia, and malaria, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The report, which was partly funded by the US, also noted that maternal deaths rose by 40,000 in 2021 due to COVID-19, likely due to virus complications and healthcare disruptions.

Dr. Bruce Aylward, WHO assistant director general, said that the Covid-related rise in deaths offers insight into the consequences of current funding cuts. “With Covid, we saw an acute shock to the system, and what’s happening with financing is an acute shock.”

“Countries have not had time to plan for alternative financing or staffing,” he said. “The shock to services would lead to ‘pandemic-like effects,’” he warned, adding that without intervention, “you could have a shift backwards.”

Changes to US foreign aid structure

The reduction in US aid is part of a broader change in American foreign policy under the Department of Government Efficiency, headed by Elon Musk. This new department has overseen major cuts to the US Agency for International Development, the main agency responsible for American foreign aid. These cuts have had serious consequences, especially for countries like South Sudan that depend heavily on international support.

By mid-August, the State Department is expected to take over the remaining duties of USAID. This transition has sparked concern about the future of US foreign aid—particularly in crisis-prone regions like South Sudan, where American funding has been crucial for health and humanitarian efforts.

The restructuring has created uncertainty about how effective future aid programs will be. As funding is reduced or shifted, many nonprofits and local agencies are struggling to fill the gaps left behind. This policy shift is likely to have a lasting impact on global humanitarian efforts.