Red Cross to cut 2,900 jobs, slash budget as donors reduce support

US backing drops nether Trump’s ‘America First’ agenda, forcing the Red Cross into large planetary cutbacks.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) volition enforce heavy cuts to its operations successful 2026, slashing astir one-fifth of its yearly fund and shedding 2,900 jobs arsenic planetary donors retreat from humanitarian financing.

“We look a unsafe convergence of escalating equipped conflicts, important cuts to assistance backing and a systemic tolerance for sedate breaches of planetary humanitarian law,” ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric said successful a connection connected Friday.

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The organisation confirmed that its spending volition autumn to $2.2bn, informing that the wider assistance assemblage is facing a “financial situation of unprecedented proportions”.

A spokesperson said the United States remains the ICRC’s largest donor but has reduced its contributions this year, mirroring backing drops from different accepted backers, including the United Kingdom and Germany.

“The ICRC remains committed to moving connected the beforehand lines of conflict, wherever fewer others tin operate,” Spoljaric insisted, but warned that “the fiscal world is forcing america to marque hard decisions to guarantee we tin proceed to present captious humanitarian assistance to those who request it most.”

Governments are diverting budgets towards defence and security, leaving humanitarian agencies scrambling to prolong programmes portion conflict, displacement and request proceed to escalate.

‘America First’

The displacement comes arsenic Washington overhauls foreign assistance nether President Donald Trump, whose “America First” docket has reshaped spending priorities.

The combined cuts person forced the Geneva-based assemblage to rotation retired 1 of its astir important restructurings successful decades. The occupation losses magnitude to astir 15 percent of its 18,500-strong workforce and see astir 200 posts successful Geneva, wherever the ICRC was founded successful 1863.

The organisation said it volition merge departments, streamline absorption and absorption connected frontline struggle operations to sphere its halfway mission. Despite the reduced budget, the ICRC insisted it volition support its beingness successful Sudan, Ukraine, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Around a 3rd of the unit reductions volition travel done voluntary departures oregon by leaving positions unfilled.

The ICRC, progressive successful much than 90 countries, supports civilians successful struggle zones, visits prisoners of war, and acts arsenic a neutral intermediary. It precocious facilitated the transportation of Israeli captives from Gaza and Palestinians held successful Israeli prisons nether the presumption of an October 10 US-backed ceasefire successful Israel’s warfare connected Gaza.