UN Chief Warns of Collapsing Aid Budget

(MENAFN) During a major international forum in Seville on Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a stark warning regarding the state of global assistance funding, saying foreign aid budgets have been “decimated.”

He emphasized that this situation goes beyond figures, calling it a humanitarian emergency of “families going hungry, children unvaccinated, children dropping out of school.”

Guterres highlighted the scale of resources needed to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a worldwide plan to eliminate poverty, safeguard the environment, and foster peace.

According to him, this agenda requires close to USD4 trillion annually.

“But we are here in Seville to change course, to restore a message of fairness and justice for all,” Guterres asserted, aiming to inject renewed urgency and purpose into the mission.

The UN chief was speaking at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, marking the first event of its kind in ten years.

The conference has drawn participation from approximately 50 heads of state and government, alongside 4,000 delegates from business sectors, civil society organizations, and financial entities.

However, the United States has chosen not to attend this four-day summit. Earlier this month, Washington officially announced its absence and confirmed that it had significantly reduced allocations to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) — historically one of the largest donors in the global aid sector.

The U.S. government has also formally withdrawn its endorsement of the SDGs.

“For decades, the mission of sustainable development has united countries large and small. Together, we achieved progress,” Guterres reflected.

“But today, development and international cooperation are facing massive headwinds. We are living in a world where trust is fraying and multilateralism is strained.”

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