Red Cross to prioritize frontline aid amid shrinking funds, conflicts

• Organization says it will cut about 2,900 posts, one-third through voluntary departures or unfilled vacancies, while prioritizing field operations

GENEVA

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will concentrate its resources on frontline humanitarian work as it reduces its 2026 budget amid a sharp decline in donor funding and a rapid escalation in global conflicts, the organization said on Friday.

The ICRC Assembly approved a CHF 1.8 billion (over $2.2 billion) budget for 2026, a 17% reduction from 2025, in what the organization described as a necessary adjustment to a deteriorating financial landscape for humanitarian aid.

"Today, 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 (IHL)," 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. But 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," she said.

She urged governments to match rising military spending with support for conflict prevention and humanitarian protection.

"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, warning: "Failure to do so risks a world of ever more and greater suffering."

The organization said it will continue to protect and assist civilians in conflict settings while focusing on greater efficiency, streamlined operations, and a broader donor base, including outreach to non-traditional contributors.

Realigning resources with core priorities will result in a reduction of about 2,900 budgeted positions across the institution, with priority placed on maintaining field operations. Roughly one-third of the staff reductions will come through voluntary departures or by not filling vacancies, according to the organization.

The 2026 budget will safeguard ICRC work in several major conflict zones, including Sudan, Israel and the occupied territories, Ukraine, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where its neutral intermediary role allows access to frontline communities.

With more than 130 active armed conflicts worldwide, many lasting more than a decade, humanitarian needs are outstripping available funding. The organization said every reduction in donor contributions directly diminishes the help that can reach people in crisis.

"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 organizations such as the ICRC can continue to save lives and alleviate suffering."