🔗 Share this article WHO Faces Significant Workforce Cuts Following United States Financial Pullout This international health organization revealed plans to cut its staff by nearly a fourth – totaling more than 2,000 positions – by the middle of 2026. Financial Shortfall Prompts Major Restructuring This decision comes after the United States, previously the agency's biggest donor, withdrew funding earlier this year. Washington had been responsible for about eighteen percent of the agency's overall funding, creating a substantial budgetary shortfall. Expected Staff Cuts Based on internal projections, the staff is expected to drop from nine thousand four hundred and one posts in early 2025 to approximately seven thousand and thirty by mid-2026. The reduction of 2,371 posts comprises staff reductions, retirements, and natural departures. "The past year has been one of the toughest in our history, as we undertook a painful but necessary journey of prioritization and restructuring," commented the agency's director-general. Financial Shortfall Persists The Geneva-based organization now confronts a funding shortfall of $1.06bn for the 2026-2027 biennium, representing nearly a fourth of its total budget. This amount marks an improvement from a previous projected gap of $1.7bn noted in spring. Excluded Funding These budget calculations do not include a further 1.1 billion dollars in potential contributions from current negotiations with various contributors. The spokesperson for the agency noted that the present unsecured part of the budget is actually smaller than in previous years, crediting this to several reasons: A smaller total budget The launch of a new fundraising campaign An increase in participating countries' mandatory fees The restructuring process is currently nearing its end, paving the way for the agency to progress with a reshaped operational model.