Trump proposes huge cuts to UN, aid agencies in ‘America First’ budget

US President Donald Trump has proposed massive cuts in allocations to the United Nations and America’s aid agency USAid in his new budget.

In the budget proposal, titled America First: A Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again, President Trump plans to increase military spending by $54 billion by reducing allocations to other areas.

Also at stake is the voluntary funding element of the UN, which touches on the most emergency and humanitarian work. The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR), the United Nations Children’s and Education Fund (Unicef), and WFP all fall under this sector.
“While we will allow for funding of humanitarian assistance, including food aid, disaster, and refugee programme funding, we would focus it on the highest priority areas while asking the rest of the world to pay their fair share. The budget therefore eliminates the Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance account, and challenges international and non-governmental relief organisations to become more efficient and effective,” the budget statement says.
UNHCR and WFP get about 40 per cent of their funding from the US, and they are currently providing relief food to those affected by drought in the Horn of Africa.
Last year, UNHCR spent $1.4 billion on its work within the region, and the WFP spent $115 million at Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps.

Trump proposes huge cuts to UN, aid agencies in ‘America First’ budget

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