UN agencies has issued a warning regarding the global repercussions of severe cuts to grassroots humanitarian funding by the incoming US administration, urging Washington to uphold its role as a global aid leader.
According to of the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency, United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, Pio Smith this follows the US administration’s announcement on January 24, to suspend billions of dollars in funding for “nearly all US foreign aid programmes, pending a 90-day review,”.
Smith stated that in response, UNFPA has suspended services funded by US grants that provide a lifeline for women and girls in crises, including in South Asia.

Smith, who serves as UNFPA’s Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, warned that between 2025 and 2028 in Afghanistan, the lack of US support could lead to 1,200 additional maternal deaths and 109,000 more unintended pregnancies.
Smith added that the US notification letters are similar to those received by other UN agencies, and that UNFPA was seeking further clarity from the US government as to why their programmes were affected, particularly those expected to be exempted on humanitarian grounds.
Meanwhile, the UN’s humanitarian coordination agency, OCHA, reported that there had been no immediate layoffs or closure of access in response to the US decision. OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke noted that the agency’s country offices were in close contact with US embassies in their respective countries to better understand how the situation will develop.
He highlighted that last year, the US government funded approximately 47 per cent of global humanitarian appeals showing the level of impact the suspension of fun has on the projects.
The suspension of aid funding coincides with reports that the new US administration has placed the country’s principal foreign assistance agency, USAID, under the authority of the Secretary of State. USAID staff have reportedly been locked out of their offices, while senior White House officials have accused the agency of criminal activity and a lack of accountability.