The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Friday, announced that it will reduce its 2026 budget by 17 per cent due to declining donor contributions, a move that could put thousands of jobs at risk.

The organisation said that because funding has dropped, its 2026 budget will shrink to 1.8 billion Swiss francs ($2.2 billion), 17 per cent less than this year’s budget. The cuts come at a time when global humanitarian needs were rising amid escalating conflicts.

“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.

Spoljaric stressed the ICRC’s commitment to operating on the front lines of conflict, where few others can, while cautioning 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.”

The budget reduction will force the organisation to cut about 2,900 full-time positions from its more than 18,000 workforce worldwide.

Highlighting a global aid funding crisis, Spoljaric noted that traditional donors, including the United States, have reduced foreign aid, while other countries were refocusing on defence spending amid rising geopolitical tensions.

“As defence budgets surge, states must also put more effort and resources into preventing conflicts, defending the rules of war, and providing humanitarian relief,” she said. “Failure to do so risks a world of ever more and greater suffering.”

Even before the current funding shortfall, humanitarian needs already exceeded available resources, with over 130 active armed conflicts worldwide. With less funding, the ICRC plans to prioritise a 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.

She warned that without immediate and coordinated international support, humanitarian organisations may struggle to reach those who need help most. (LEADERSHIP)