• The US has pledged $2 billion for UN humanitarian aid, significantly reduced from previous contributions.
• This funding will be allocated under a new model aiming for efficiency in aid delivery.
• The commitment is part of broader cuts to foreign assistance, prompting warnings from Trump that UN agencies must "adapt or die."
• Regions like Afghanistan and Yemen are notably excluded from this funding, drawing criticism from aid advocates.
• The agreement intends to target specific countries, prioritizing areas with dire humanitarian needs.

The United States has announced a $2 billion pledge for United Nations humanitarian aid, marking a significant cut from previous contributions that reached up to $17 billion annually. The new funding will support specific countries or crises, as the Trump administration emphasizes a reform in how international assistance is distributed and managed, according to Al Jazeera and Los Angeles Times.

This $2 billion, a fraction of past US contributions, is structured to create an umbrella fund that allows aid distribution to various UN agencies more efficiently, shifting away from ad-hoc contributions for individual appeals, reports Reuters and South China Morning Post.

While officials hail the $2 billion as a demonstration of US generosity, critics warn that this funding cut places millions at risk of hunger and disease. Many humanitarian workers have expressed alarm at the restrictive conditions attached to the aid, which emphasizes that certain regions like Afghanistan and Yemen will be excluded due to concerns over aid diversion, stated Channel News Asia and The Hill.

The agreement stipulates that the UN agencies must "adapt or die," reflecting the Trump administration’s demand for significant reforms within the UN's humanitarian assistance framework to avoid inefficiencies. This approach could fundamentally reshape global humanitarian efforts, as highlighted by officials emphasizing that the US will no longer fund organizations that do not conform to this new operational model, according to BBC and Africa News.

The funding plan created under the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) will initially target 17 countries, including Bangladesh and Syria, but will exclude areas experiencing severe humanitarian crises like Gaza. UN aid chief Tom Fletcher expressed optimism that this contribution could save millions of lives despite broader funding challenges, indicating the complexity of delivering aid under increasing constraints imposed by donor countries, as per CBS News and Africa News.