New York: The United Nations announced Monday a significant reduction of more than a third in its global humanitarian program for 2025, as the humanitarian sector faced “the deepest funding cuts ever”, threatening to exacerbate the fragile conditions of tens of millions of people in need.

According to Qatar News Agency, Tom Fletcher, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, stated in a statement that the UN is now seeking $29 billion to support 114 million people. The scale of donor spending cuts has been so significant that it has forced a prioritization of people’s survival.

He added, “The math is cruel, and the consequences are heartbreaking. Too many people will not get the support they need, but we will save as many lives as we can with the resources we are given.”

Fletcher emphasized, “All we ask is one per cent of what you chose to spend last year on war. But this isn’t just an appeal for money – it’s a call for global responsibility, for human solidarity, for a commitment to end the suffering.”

In a related context, the United Nations stated that its request prioritizes and does not replace a previous appeal for more than $47 billion launched in 2024. This was before US President Donald Trump announced a significant cut in foreign aid, which he himself described as “devastating.”

It was also noted that funding provided in response to the previous humanitarian appeal was less than 13 percent of the amount requested around the middle of the year.