New UN aid chief vows 'ruthlessness' to prioritize spending as funding for world's crises shrinks

The new head of the U.N. humanitarian aid agency says it will be "ruthless" when prioritizing how to spend money, a nod to challenges in fundraising for civilians in war zones like Gaza, Sudan, Syria and Ukraine.

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Tom Fletcher, a longtime British diplomat who took up the U.N. post last month, said his agency is asking for less money in 2025 than this year. He said it wants to show "we will focus and target the resources we have," even as crises grow more numerous, intense and long-lasting.

His agency, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, on Wednesday issued its global appeal for 2025, seeking $47 billion to help 190 million people in 32 countries, though it estimates 305 million worldwide need help.