The United Nations’ emergency and disaster response agency, says it will reduce its global workforce by 20 percent and scale back operations in nine countries, as it faces a severe funding crisis.
In a letter to staff shared on the agency’s website, the head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, outlined what he called “brutal cuts” driven by almost a- 60-million-dollar-funding shortfall for 2025, compounded by rising humanitarian demands.
The OCHA will withdraw from or adjust operations in Cameroon, Colombia, Eritrea, Iraq, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkey, and Zimbabwe, and aim to prioritize dynamic and full responses, in the remaining locations where it operates.
The agency plans to lay off approximately 500 members of staff
from its workforce of about 2,600 employees, across over 60 countries.
The cuts follow months of austerity measures, including a hiring freeze and travel restrictions, which saved $3.7 million.
While OCHA frames the cuts as necessary for sustainability, aid groups say they feared reduced capacity in crisis zones.
