Additional Context: This quote is attributed to Jon Novakovic, executive director of the Global Interagency Security Forum. He notes that the United States’ recent multibillion-dollar agreement with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is poorly suited to security approaches that require time to build trust with communities and local powerholders.

As aid budgets shrink, security specialists warn that even the systems larger aid agencies rely on to work safely in dangerous places are coming under pressure. In 2025, at least 326 humanitarians were recorded as killed, bringing the total number of humanitarians killed in the last three years to over 1,010. That number is almost triple the 377 aid workers recorded as killed globally over the three years prior. With stiff competition for dwindling resources, many donors are focusing on the highest-need areas — including Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, and Lebanon — which are also among the most dangerous operating environments.

Devex Researcher Note: While the article does not explicitly note U.S. aid cuts as the sole reason for increased humanitarian risk, U.S. humanitarian contributions fell from around $14 billion in 2024 to $3.4 billion in 2025 — a 76% drop — collapsing the U.S. share of global humanitarian funding from over 40% to roughly 14%. In conversation with The Aid Report, a representative from humanitarian safety organization confirmed the affect of U.S. aid cuts on global aid security operations.

Source: Devex