UN Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher emphasized the need for UN agencies to become leaner, faster, and less bureaucratic to address the challenges posed by the ongoing funding crisis.In a statement issued in Geneva Friday following a meeting attended by key leaders of major UN humanitarian agencies, Fletcher stated that the post-World War II international order is facing its greatest test since its inception. He highlighted that the humanitarian community is grappling with a severe crisis in funding, morale, and legitimacy.He further stressed the need to reaffirm the importance of international solidarity.These agencies, which include World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Food Program (WFP), and United Nations Development Program (UNDP), are responsible for critical global issues such as health, refugees, human rights, child welfare, food security, and development.All these agencies have been significantly impacted albeit to varying degrees by US President Donald Trump's abrupt decision to impose a near-total freeze on US foreign aid funding.The United States, the largest donor to UN agencies, already reduced its contributions, exacerbating financial shortfalls faced by these organizations due to insufficient funding from member states and other donors.
