Tom Fletcher

Force in Play

Warning of aid crisis impact

Heavy snow and rainfall killed at least 61 people across Afghanistan between January 22-24, 2026, with 110 injured and 458 homes destroyed across 15 of the country's 34 provinces. Earlier that month, flash floods triggered by the season's first heavy rains killed at least 17 people on January 2, destroying over 1,800 homes in western provinces.

Updated May 23

Rule Changes

Negotiating with U.S. on new centralized funding model

The United States pledged $2 billion for UN humanitarian aid on December 29, down from as much as $17 billion annually—an 88% cut. Within hours of his January inauguration, Trump froze nearly all foreign assistance, dismantled USAID entirely by July, and warned UN agencies they must 'adapt, shrink or die.'

Updated May 18

Money Moves

Leads global humanitarian appeals amid deep funding crisis

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) cut its 2026 humanitarian appeal to roughly $33 billion in December 2025, down from the $47 billion requested for 2025. Governments had provided only about $15 billion in 2025 — the lowest level of support in a decade. Three weeks later, the United States pledged $2 billion to OCHA-managed funds, providing roughly two-thirds of the funding needed to reach 87 million people in the most catastrophic need.

Updated May 10