Geneva, Switzerland - September 3, 2020: Close-up of the facade of the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), a private humanitarian organization created in 1863.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said Friday it was cutting its 2026 budget by 17 percent amid declining donor contributions, and would slash thousands of jobs.
The ICRC said “a challenging financial environment in the humanitarian sector” had led its assembly to approve a 2026 budget of 1.8 billion Swiss francs ($2.2 billion) — down 17 percent compared to this year.
The organisation warned the cuts were coming at a time when the numbers of conflicts worldwide and the need for aid is surging.
“We face a dangerous convergence of escalating armed conflicts, significant cuts to aid funding and a systemic tolerance for grave breaches of international humanitarian law,” ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric said in a statement.
“The ICRC remains committed to working on the front lines of conflict, where few others can operate,” she insisted, warning though that “the financial reality is forcing us to make difficult decisions to ensure we can continue to deliver critical humanitarian assistance to those who need it most”.
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The cuts meant the organisation will need to reduce the equivalent of around 2,900 full-time positions around the world, said ICRC, which currently counts more than 18,000 staff worldwide.
The announcement comes as the world grapples with a dramatic international aid funding crisis.
Since President Donald Trump returned to the White House at the start of the year, the United States, traditionally the world’s top donor, has slashed foreign aid.
And amid mounting geopolitical tensions, other major donor countries have also been tightening their belts and refocusing on defence spending.
“As defence budgets surge, states must also put more effort and resources into preventing conflicts, defending the rules of war and providing humanitarian relief,” Spoljaric said.
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“Failure to do so risks a world of ever more and greater suffering.”
Even before the current crisis, humanitarian needs were outpacing available resources, ICRC said, pointing to the over 130 active armed conflicts raging worldwide.
In light of its shrinking budget, ICRC said it would need to prioritise safeguarding its presence in the most critical conflict zones, including Sudan, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, Ukraine and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“No amount of humanitarian funding can match the intensity, duration and scale of today’s conflicts,” Spoljaric said.
“We need urgent action from states to prevent and resolve conflicts, uphold international humanitarian law and ensure that humanitarian organisations such as the ICRC can continue to save lives and alleviate suffering.”
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