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UN officials warn developing countries face ‘catastrophic’ financing squeeze as ODA falls 23% in 2025
Summary
At a UN DESA briefing, Under‑Secretary‑General Li Junhua and DESA colleagues presented the Financing for Sustainable Development Report 2026, warning that a 23% drop in official development assistance in 2025 and rising debt pressures threaten progress on the SDGs; DESA urged implementation of the Seville Commitment.
Under‑Secretary‑General Li Junhua told reporters at a United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs briefing that progress on the Sustainable Development Goals is being “impaired by the global fragmentation, geopolitical tensions, and conflicts.” He said the Financing for Sustainable Development Report 2026 shows a ‘‘clear and urgent’’ financing gap and that official development assistance (ODA) contracted sharply in 2025.
Li said the 2025 data show 25 countries decreased their ODA, producing a 23% overall drop from 2024 to 2025 and warned that preliminary numbers point to a further 5.8% decline in 2026. "Developing countries are trapped in a catastrophic financing squeeze from compounding shocks," he said, and added that debt‑service burdens are at two‑decade highs.
The briefing framed the…
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