At the signing in Geneva, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher honored humanitarian workers facing increasingly challenging conditions, calling the past year “a very tough year for everyone engaged in humanitarian action.”
Despite the difficulties, he expressed optimism about the memorandum of understanding (MOU), saying it promised hope.
“Millions more will receive the support they desperately need,” Mr. Fletcher stated, noting the funding would save tens of millions of lives in the coming year.
The agreement involves 17 crisis-affected countries: Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Ukraine, Haiti, Nigeria, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Mozambique, Myanmar, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Sudan, Bangladesh, Syria, Uganda, Kenya, Chad, and the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).
Saving lives
Mr. Fletcher highlighted the “landmark agreement” would have real impact on the ground, emphasizing that millions of lives will be saved.
He pointed out that the funding supports the UN’s 2026 plan to reach 87 million people with emergency assistance, a plan which has been “hyper-prioritized” to reduce duplication, enhance efficiency, and cut bureaucracy.
The agreement is seen as a major endorsement of the ‘Humanitarian Reset’ initiated by Mr. Fletcher in March 2025 to provide aid faster and more effectively to those in need.
Accountability
Reform and accountability were key themes in his speech.
Mr. Fletcher stressed that donors expect results, with accountability mechanisms in place to ensure “every dollar we spend” is tracked to verify it is saving lives. He added that the agreement reflects shared focus on urgent priorities, though it doesn’t imply full alignment on all issues.
He also underscored the connection between humanitarian efforts and diplomacy, urging for 2026 to be “a year of diplomacy and peacemaking.” Ending conflicts remains the most efficient way to reduce humanitarian needs, he said.
“This lifesaving announcement is not the end of the process,” Mr. Fletcher concluded. “It is the beginning.”
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