The United Nations announced on Monday that it will drastically reduce its global humanitarian aid program this year, citing what it described as “the worst financial cuts the humanitarian sector has ever faced.”

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that the revised 2025 response plan now requires $29 billion, down from the $44 billion initially projected when the plan was launched in December. The updated plan will place “extreme priority” on providing support to 114 million people in urgent need.

The United States had been the largest donor to various forms of development assistance. However, the sharp reduction in funding has had severe consequences, particularly for emergency aid, vaccination efforts, and the distribution of life-saving medications to combat HIV/AIDs