By Favour Ulebor
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has announced plans to cut 20 per cent of its global workforce due to a $58 million funding shortfall—listing Nigeria among 10 countries to be affected.
OCHA’s Chief, Tom Fletcher, revealed this in a note to staff after the United States, its largest donor, slashed its annual contribution of $63 million, which would have covered 20 percent of the agency’s 2025 budget.
“OCHA currently has about 2,600 staff in over 60 countries. The funding gap means we are looking to regroup to around 2,100 staff in fewer locations,” Fletcher said.
Countries where operations will be scaled back include Nigeria, Cameroon, Colombia, Eritrea, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, and Gaziantep in Turkey.
The agency stressed that the move was driven by budget cuts and not a decline in humanitarian needs, which continue to rise due to conflict, climate crises, disease, and violations of international law.
The funding cuts come as U.S. President Donald Trump, who returned to office in January, pushes to realign foreign aid with his “America First” policy.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has also launched a cost-saving initiative as the organization marks its 80th anniversary amid a growing financial crisis.
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