The United Nations has announced that agencies operating in Malawi are preparing for staff reductions of between 25 and 40 percent following a global funding decline of up to 30 percent, raising fears of severe disruption to humanitarian and development services across the country.
To be affected: An HSA administering routine malaria vaccine at Machinga District Hospital
The UN says the deepening financial crisis is already forcing agencies to scale down operations, reduce field presence and rethink how critical services are delivered to vulnerable communities.
Speaking in Lilongwe during the UN/Government of Malawi National Steering Committee meeting on the Malawi-UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, Rabecca Adda-Dontoh said the financial shock was significantly weakening the organisation’s operational capacity worldwide.
The cuts are expected to hit some of the world’s biggest humanitarian agencies, including United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, International Organization for Migration and World Food Programme, each preparing reductions of up to 30 percent in staffing.
“These global pressures are significantly weakening the UN’s operational capacity worldwide,” said Adda-Dontoh.
The development raises fears over the future of key programmes in Malawi that depend heavily on UN support, including food assistance, vaccination campaigns, refugee support, migration services, disaster response and technical policy guidance to government ministries.
Adda-Dontoh warned that the funding shock could weaken the UN’s ability to maintain strong community-level engagement and frontline programme delivery across the country.
“Limited budgets may require adjustments to field operations and monitoring, which could influence aspects of programme delivery and local engagement,” she said.
She further disclosed that technical advisory support to government institutions may also be reduced, potentially affecting policy formulation, strategic planning and programme oversight in several sectors.
The UN estimates that the global funding crisis could disrupt humanitarian and development assistance for between 30 and 60 million people worldwide.
In Malawi, the impact is expected to be severe, particularly for vulnerable communities that rely on donor-supported interventions in health, food security, education, social protection and emergency response.
The organisation officially released its 2025 Annual Report for Malawi during the meeting, but the event was overshadowed by growing concern over the future sustainability of UN-backed programmes amid deepening financial uncertainty.
Adda-Dontoh said agencies operating in Malawi are now being forced to review priorities and redesign implementation models in order to continue operating under shrinking budgets.
The warning comes at a time when Malawi continues to battle economic hardship, food insecurity, climate shocks and pressure on public services — challenges that have historically depended heavily on international humanitarian and development assistance.
