WHO cuts appeal for health emergencies by a third to US$1 billion in 2026
Funding will go to 36 emergencies including Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine, says WHO health emergencies chief
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[GENEVA] The World Health Organization (WHO) is appealing for US$1 billion for health emergencies this year, down by a third from 2025, as donor funding falls amid doubts about contributions from its former top donor, the US.
“We’re focusing on those most in need, where we can save the most lives,” health emergencies chief Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu told a Geneva briefing on Tuesday (Feb 3), saying the funding would go to 36 emergencies, including Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine.
“We are deeply worried about the vast needs and how we will meet them,” he added.
Dr Ihekweazu denied that the WHO would fully withdraw from any crisis. “What we have done, in each of those contexts, is maybe not as much as we would like to do,” he told reporters.
The US officially left the WHO on Jan 22, faulting the global health agency for its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The WHO has vigorously defended its record.
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In the past, the US has been a major contributor to both the WHO’s emergency appeal, which relies on voluntary donations and its wider budget based partly on mandatory member fees.
Dr Ihekweazu said in 2025 that the US was not a major donor to the emergency appeal, naming top contributors as the European Union, Saudi Arabia and Germany. REUTERS
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