‘Adapt, Shrink Or Die’: Trump Admin Announces Major UN Aid Shake-Up

The Trump administration announced Monday a sweeping overhaul of U.S. funding for UN humanitarian programs, warning U.N. agencies they must “adapt, shrink, or die.”

The State Department said the agreement requires the U.N. to consolidate humanitarian functions, cut bureaucratic overhead and address what it described as “ideological creep” inside aid agencies. U.S. officials argue the pledge preserves America’s commitment to life-saving aid while forcing greater efficiency and accountability in how taxpayer dollars are spent.

“Today’s agreement ushers in a new era of UN humanitarian action and U.S. leadership in the UN system,” said Jeremy Lewin, senior official for Foreign Assistance, Humanitarian Affairs and Religious Freedom. “It shifts U.S. funding of UN humanitarian work onto clearly defined, accountable, efficient, and hyper-prioritized funding mechanisms to ensure that every taxpayer dollar spent of humanitarian assistance both advances American national interests and achieves the greatest possible lifesaving impact.”

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