The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will reduce its 2026 budget by 17 per cent to 1.8 billion Swiss francs (US$2.23 billion) and cut 2,900 jobs, it said in a statement on Friday.

Aid budgets are facing an unprecedented shortfall as donors shift their focus towards defence, forcing humanitarians to make difficult decisions about whom to help amid multiple conflicts and record displacement.

“The ICRC remains committed to working on the front lines of conflict, where few others can operate,” President Mirjana Spoljaric said after a meeting of its assembly.

“But the financial reality is forcing us to make difficult decisions to ensure we can continue to deliver critical humanitarian help to those who need it most.”

Amid mounting geopolitical tensions, other major donor countries have also been tightening their belts and refocusing on defence spending.