Geneva: The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced substantial reductions in its humanitarian emergency budget for 2025, with a "bleak" outlook for 2026.

Teresa Zacharia, WHO's head of humanitarian action and disaster response, stated that the organization received 40% less funding for global humanitarian emergencies this year compared to 2024.

Zacharia explained that more than 300 million people require humanitarian assistance, forcing the WHO to make difficult decisions about prioritizing aid. The organization is focusing on the most vulnerable populations in the most critical situations.

Since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, the United States, traditionally the world's largest donor, has sharply reduced its international aid. Other major donors have also decreased their budgets. As a result, over 5,600 healthcare facilities worldwide have been forced to reduce services, and more than 2,000 have suspended operations.

These cuts have directly reduced access to health services for 53 million people globally.

Zacharia noted that in countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, and Haiti, there are increasing rates of maternal mortality and malnutrition, indicating a worsening situation.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed concern about the consequences for the poorest countries. However, he noted that many countries have become aware of the situation and are emphasizing the need to mobilize national resources to finance their health systems, including health emergencies.

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