UN Aid Agency Forced to Cut Jobs as Funding Dries Up

The United Nations humanitarian agency led by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) will perform layoffs of one fifth of its workforce due to funding scarcity. OCHA, which delivers aid to crises worldwide operates with a shortage of 58 million USD and must now make critical decisions.

According to head of OCHA, Tom Fletcher the agency must release about 500 employees from its 2,600 staff and reduce services in Sudan as well as Gaza. OCHA maintains its essential function by leading emergency response coordination while distributing important information together with advocating for people facing humanitarian crises. The organization faces challenging decisions because it maintains limited funding from big contributors including the United States.

“We were already stretched thin, and now we’re forced to do even less,” Fletcher wrote. The U.S. has long been OCHA’s biggest supporter, giving about 63 million USD a year, roughly a fifth of the agency’s budget. But recent U.S. policy changes, tied to President Donald Trump’s focus on putting America first, have slashed foreign aid, including shutting down the U.S. Agency for International Development. While it’s unclear if the U.S. has cut its 2025 pledge to OCHA, the State Department said it’s still reviewing its funding.

The timing couldn’t be worse. Wars and crises in places like Syria and elsewhere are leaving millions desperate for help. With fewer staff, OCHA won’t be able to support as many local aid groups or deliver as much food, medicine, or shelter. “This is going to hit the most vulnerable hardest,” Fletcher said.

UN leader Antonio Guterres has warned that pulling back on aid could make the world less stable. For now, OCHA is pleading for donations to soften the blow, but the future looks uncertain for both the agency and the people it serves.