• The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will cut 2,900 jobs and its budget by nearly a fifth in 2026.
• Donor nations, especially the U.S., are shifting funding priorities towards defense, impacting humanitarian aid.
• About 15% of ICRC's staff will be affected, with a restructuring including voluntary redundancies.
• The organization remains committed to operating in critical conflict zones despite financial constraints.
• ICRC President warns of a "financial crisis of unprecedented proportions" in the humanitarian sector.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will **reduce its 2026 budget by 17% to 1.8 billion Swiss francs** (approximately USD 2.23 billion) and cut **2,900 jobs**, according to a statement from the organization. The cuts come as global donor nations, led by the United States, shift their focus toward defense spending, creating a significant shortfall in humanitarian aid funding as conflicts and displacement continue to escalate. President Mirjana Spoljaric emphasized the need for urgent action, stating, "No amount of humanitarian funding can match the intensity, duration and scale of today’s conflicts," according to SCMP, Reuters, and Al Jazeera.

The job reductions represent nearly **15% of ICRC's global workforce** of 18,500. Many of the cuts will occur through voluntary redundancies or leaving positions unfilled, with approximately **200 job cuts** affecting the organization's headquarters in Geneva. The ICRC noted that these decisions come amid a broader restructuring to enhance efficiency and maintain its operational capacity in critical conflict zones like **Sudan, Ukraine, Israel, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo**, according to SCMP and Al Jazeera.

The ICRC's efforts to address these challenges come as the United States, its largest donor, has reduced its foreign aid contributions under President Donald Trump's administration, which favors an "America First" framework. This shift has mirrored reductions from other key nations, including the United Kingdom and Germany, prompting the ICRC to label the current situation as a "financial crisis of unprecedented proportions" within the humanitarian sector. President Spoljaric reinforced the organization's commitment to providing humanitarian support, indicating that "the **financial reality** is forcing us to make difficult decisions," as reported by Reuters and Al Jazeera.