Global Aid Funding Crisis Threatens Children and Refugees
Spokespersons for PLACEHOLDER106c2bb4d9fc8551 and PLACEHOLDERf71d09811d3cff60 in Geneva have raised concerns that a severe liquidity crisis is jeopardizing critical humanitarian efforts. These financial challenges threaten the progress made in reducing child mortality, which has declined by 60% since 1990.
Lifesaving Interventions at Risk
Since 2000, UNICEF has reduced severe acute malnutrition by one-third, saving the lives of 55 million children through simple yet effective interventions.
“There are reasons to remain hopeful, as we have proven we can achieve results,” said Kitty van der Heijden, UNICEF’s Deputy Executive Director, speaking from Abuja, Nigeria. However, she emphasized that success depends on a strong collaboration between governments, philanthropists, and the private sector.
“Donors are crucial in delivering life-saving aid to children and mothers worldwide,” she added. “We never do this alone.”
Progress Under Threat
Recent funding withdrawals are putting these achievements at risk. This is not due to the actions of a single donor but the cumulative effect of multiple contributors reducing their aid.
“These choices affect real children and real lives in the present,” van der Heijden warned.
As a result, approximately 1.3 million children in Nigeria and Ethiopia may lose access to lifesaving food and support this year. By 2025, around 213 million children in 146 countries will require humanitarian aid, according to UNICEF.
Supply Chain Disruptions
In Ethiopia’s Afar region, UNICEF operates 30 mobile clinics that serve pastoralist communities. These clinics provide critical care to pregnant and lactating mothers and children, including treatment for malnutrition, vitamin deficiencies, and malaria.
However, financial cuts have already forced 23 of these clinics to close.
“If new funding isn’t secured, we will deplete our supply chain by May,” van der Heijden said. This would leave 70,000 Ethiopian children without essential treatment.
A similar crisis is unfolding in Nigeria, where UNICEF could also run out of supplies between now and May.
Focusing on Prevention
Beyond treatment, UNICEF highlights the importance of prevention, including nutrition supplementation and early health screenings, to stop malnutrition before it becomes life-threatening.
“We can’t just focus on treating severe cases—we must prevent children from reaching this stage in the first place,” van der Heijden stressed.
During a recent visit to a Nigerian hospital, she encountered a child so malnourished that his skin was peeling.
“These conditions are entirely preventable,” she said, urging the global community to step up its support.
“As needs continue to rise, the world must respond by investing in what is possible, rather than turning away,” she stated. “Around the world, children are paying the price for funding decisions made in distant capitals.”
A Failure to Protect Children
Holding a child on the brink of death from a preventable disease is devastating, van der Heijden emphasized.
“We cannot allow the global community to fail children like this,” she said.
The worsening financial shortfall is also posing security risks for humanitarian workers, complicating efforts to provide aid.
UNHCR Forced to Cut Operations
UNHCR is also facing severe budget reductions, leading to operational downsizing. The crisis has intensified due to drastic funding cuts from the U.S. government.
“The most affected will be refugees and displaced individuals, who will bear the brunt of these cuts,” said UNHCR spokesperson Matthew Saltmarsh.
The agency is currently assessing how many staff will be affected by layoffs.
Due to the financial strain, UNHCR has halted multiple initiatives in South Sudan, Bangladesh, and Europe. It has also closed offices in countries like Türkiye.
In Ethiopia, the agency suspended a safehouse for women facing death threats, leaving them vulnerable.
“In South Sudan, only 25% of the spaces dedicated to supporting women and girls facing violence remain operational,” Saltmarsh said. “As a result, nearly 80,000 people have lost access to emergency psychosocial support, legal aid, and medical assistance.”
Urgent Action Needed
The ongoing funding crisis is putting countless lives at risk. Unless donors step up, millions of vulnerable children, mothers, and refugees may be left without the aid they desperately need.
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