The senior United Nations humanitarian official said he would refuse US government financial contributions that would require recipients to comply with discriminatory US policies that undermine human rights.
“The question is, should we take money under those conditions, knowing that it will save millions of lives, or not?” said Tom Fletcher, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). “I’m in the situation where I’m saying I cannot take that money under those conditions.”
Fletcher’s remarks, delivered in April, were first reported last week by Devex.
Fletcher was referring to conditions that could apply to future US funding due to recent expansion of the US’ Mexico City Policy, which restricts abortion care in foreign aid programs. Known as the “global gag rule,” the expanded policy also bars US funding recipients from recognizing diverse gender identities, providing services to trans people, or addressing some forms of racial and other discrimination.
This means that the policy will now cover more US funding recipients, including UN agencies. The United States has withheld most of its obligatory contributions to the UN’s regular budget and peacekeeping since President Donald Trump began his second term in January 2025. The United States has also eliminated most voluntary UN funding.
As the UN’s biggest contributor, the United States non-payment of dues and cancelation of most voluntary contributions is the main reason for a severe UN liquidity crisis. That and China’s late payments have led to layoffs and forced the UN to reduce many of its activities, including some humanitarian and human rights work. Other governments have also reduced foreign aid and voluntary UN contributions.
The United States announced in December 2025 a US$2 billion donation to OCHA, earmarked for only 17 countries. Fletcher called it a “landmark” US pledge, though it was a fraction of the roughly $14 billion the United States pledged in 2024. The expanded Mexico City Policy, announced in January, did not apply to those funds.
Fletcher took a principled approach to human rights by rejecting future donations requiring the UN to curtail work on reproductive rights, equality rights, and diversity initiatives. Other donor countries should step up and offer unconditional financial support to ensure the UN and its humanitarian partners can keep saving lives around the world.
