Geneva: The World Health Organization said Wednesday it was grappling with drastic funding cuts for humanitarian emergencies this year -- and the outlook for 2026 was "really dire".

Under President Donald Trump, the United States -- traditionally the world's top donor -- has heavily slashed foreign aid, causing havoc across the globe, while other major international aid donors have been tightening their belts.

Teresa Zakaria, the WHO's humanitarian and disaster action chief, said the UN health agency had received 40 percent less funding for aid emergencies worldwide this year compared to 2024.

"It is huge," she told reporters.

The WHO had identified more than 300 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and "had to make a very hard choice of actually choosing who to prioritise

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