UN humanitarian fund faces sharp drop: Guterres
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the global humanitarian system is being pushed to the brink
NEW YORK, United States (MNTV) – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the global humanitarian system is being pushed to the brink as funding for the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) falls to its lowest level in a decade.
“We meet in very difficult times,” Guterres told the High-Level Pledging Event for the 2026 CERF, stressing that humanitarian needs continue to soar as crises intensify worldwide. He cautioned that the system’s “tank is running on empty, with millions of lives hanging in the balance.”
He emphasized CERF’s importance as the UN’s “flexible, first-responder fund,” noting that since 2006 it has provided nearly $10 billion in life-saving assistance across more than 100 countries, working with over 20 UN agencies and hundreds of partners.
“CERF works because it is fast, flexible and fair,” Guterres said. “In many places, CERF has made the difference between life-saving help and no help at all.”
But the UN chief warned that donor commitments for 2025 had dropped “sharply, like never before,” with projected contributions expected to be the lowest since 2015 — a “dangerous trend” that could lead to preventable deaths, hunger and the collapse of essential services.
“This is a moment when we are asked to do more and more with less and less,” he said. “This is simply unsustainable.”
Guterres urged member states to meet the General Assembly-endorsed $1 billion goal and maintain predictable support. “When disaster strikes, help will come — that was the promise,” he said.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher echoed the alarm, warning that “brutal cuts leave us to make brutal choices.” He said CERF’s role was central to the UN’s humanitarian “reset,” emphasizing faster responses, stronger local engagement, and prioritizing women and girls, who face heightened risks.
Announcing a $100 million allocation for the world’s most underfunded crises — nearly a quarter of projected 2025 income — Fletcher said CERF was confronting its lowest expected funding in a decade. As the fund marks its 20th anniversary, he stressed that meeting the $1 billion goal is “not symbolic — it’s essential.”
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