WHO Faces Significant Staff Cuts After US Funding Withdrawal
This global public health organization disclosed intentions to cut its staff by nearly a fourth – amounting to more than two thousand positions – by mid-2026.
Financial Crisis Prompts Major Reorganization
This move follows after the US, formerly the organization's biggest contributor, withdrew funding previously this period.
Washington had been responsible for approximately eighteen percent of the agency's overall funding, causing a significant budgetary gap.
Expected Workforce Cuts
According to organizational estimates, the staff will decrease from nine thousand four hundred and one positions in early 2025 to approximately 7,030 by mid-2026.
The decrease of 2,371 posts includes job cuts, retirements, and regular departures.
"The past year has been among the most difficult in WHO's existence, as we have navigated a painful but essential process of prioritization and restructuring," stated the organization's director-general.
Financial Gap Persists
The Switzerland-headquartered organization now confronts a funding gap of $1.06bn for the 2026-2027 biennium, amounting to almost a fourth of its required budget.
The figure marks an improvement from a previous projected gap of $1.7bn noted in spring.
Not Included Finances
These financial projections exclude an additional 1.1 billion dollars in potential contributions from ongoing negotiations with multiple contributors.
A spokesperson for the agency noted that the present unfunded part of the biennial budget is actually lower than in earlier periods, attributing this to several factors:
- A smaller total budget
- Initiation of a new fundraising effort
- An increase in member states' mandatory contributions
The realignment process is now nearing its completion, allowing the organization to progress with a reshaped structure.
