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UN says global funding shortfalls force major cuts to Somalia and Yemen response plans
Summary
The United Nations announced sharp reductions to planned humanitarian response targets in Somalia and an addendum to Yemen’s plan, citing unprecedented funding shortfalls and reprioritization to focus on the most life‑saving activities.
The United Nations told reporters it has drastically reduced planned targets for humanitarian assistance in Somalia and narrowed Yemen’s 2025 response after global funding fell far short of needs, forcing agencies to prioritize life‑saving support.
The UN briefing said the revised Somalia response will target 1,300,000 people in 2025, down from an initial target of 4,600,000 — a reduction of more than 70 percent. The reprioritized plan is estimated to cost about $367,000,000, roughly a 74 percent cut from the $1.4 billion originally requested, the spokesperson said.
For Yemen, the briefing said an addendum to this year’s humanitarian needs and response plan identifies the most critical life‑saving activities and calls for $1.4 billion to reach about 8,800,000 people, down from a larger original appeal. The spokesperson warned that without additional funding millions more people risk severe hunger, loss of services and increased mortality.
The briefing also cited recently reported displacement and response gaps in other crises: more than 66,000 people were newly displaced in the first months of 2025 because of fighting between non‑state armed groups (a 28 percent increase compared with previous totals), and partners continue to implement a $3,800,000 allocation from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund to assist more than 56,000 people in Katatumbo, where fighting has been intense.
Overall, the briefing said the $342,000,000 humanitarian plan for that unnamed context was 14 percent funded with $48,500,000 received to date, and that agencies will expand response plans if additional funding becomes available.
The spokesperson framed the cuts as a difficult reprioritization intended to ensure that the most life‑saving assistance reaches the most vulnerable people given the “massive global funding shortfalls,” and reiterated that all needs identified in the 2025 humanitarian needs and response plans remain valid and urgent.
UN officials named Under‑Secretary‑General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher in describing the humanitarian reset and reprioritization process, which the briefing said has been implemented across multiple crises.
