The United Nations and the United States on Monday formalized an agreement under which the US committed $2 billion in humanitarian assistance for global relief programmes, a move the UN's top relief official hailed as a landmark commitment to saving lives amid escalating humanitarian needs worldwide.
Speaking at the signing in Geneva, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher paid tribute to humanitarian workers operating under increasingly difficult conditions, describing the past year as "a very, very tough year for everyone engaged in humanitarian action."
Despite the challenges, he said the agreement, known as a memorandum of understanding or MOU, offered grounds for optimism.
"Millions, millions more will get that support that they so badly need," Mr. Fletcher said, adding that the funding would help save tens of millions of lives in the year ahead.
The agreement covers 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 and Chad, as well as the UN Central Emergency Response Fund ( CERF ).
Saving lives
Mr. Fletcher said the true impact of this "landmark agreement" would be its impact on the ground. "A number that really matters...is that millions of lives will be saved," he said.
He noted that the funding supports the UN's 2026 plan to reach 87 million people with emergency assistance. That plan, he said, has been "hyper-prioritized" to reduce duplication, streamline bureaucracy and maximize efficiency across the humanitarian system.
The agreement is a major vote of confidence in the 'Humanitarian Reset' - which Mr. Fletcher had announced in March 2025 - to deliver aid faster, smarter and closer to people who need it most.
Accountability
Reform and accountability featured prominently in his remarks.
Mr. Fletcher emphasized that donors expect results, saying accountability mechanisms would ensure that "every dollar we spend" is tracked to confirm that it is saving lives. He also underlined that the agreement does not imply alignment on all issues but reflects a shared focus on urgent life-saving priorities.
He also highlighted the link between humanitarian action and diplomacy, calling for 2026 to be "a year of diplomacy and peacemaking." Ending conflicts, he said, remains the most effective way to reduce humanitarian need.
"This lifesaving announcement is not the end of the process," Mr. Fletcher concluded. "It is the beginning."
