A senior official at the World Health Organization has revealed that the body's 2026-2027 budget is short by roughly 40 percent, following a halt in US funding ordered by the administration of President Donald Trump.



WHO Assistant Director-General Nakatani Yukiko said in an interview with NHK that since the body's biggest funding provider, the United States, announced its withdrawal, financial resources to pay about 800 WHO staff, whose wages were bankrolled by the US, have become unsecure.



She said the organization has scaled back its initial 2026-2027 budget plan by 20 percent, and has been seeking funds from countries other than the US, but is still facing a shortfall of 1.8 billion dollars, which accounts for about 40 percent of the revised budget.



This is the first time that the WHO has referred to the specific impact of the Trump administration's policy on its staff and budget.



Nakatani added that cooperation with US government institutions, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has also been affected.



She pointed out that if another pandemic occurs, there could be delays in sharing information about measures to prevent infections and creating a system to supply vaccines.



She stressed that if the United States leaves the WHO and there is no exchange of information in that scenario, there is a strong possibility that the world could face an even more difficult situation than the COVID-19 pandemic.



The WHO apparently plans to submit a new budget plan to the World Health Assembly in May, after considering cost-cutting measures such as reducing various public health programs and closing activity bases.



Nakatani said the WHO has never faced a situation like this in its 77-year history. She added that it is time for the body to review its conventional practices and shift to more efficient and feasible ones. She showed her determination to overcome the current crisis caused by the US funding halt.