The World Health Organisation (WHO) is preparing to cut more than 2,000 jobs, about 22% of its global workforce, by June 2026 after the United States, under President Donald Trump, withdrew all funding.
The US had been the WHO’s biggest contributor, providing nearly 18% of its total budget.
When the funding stopped on January 20, the agency was forced to scale back operations and immediately shrink its management team by half.
WHO’s workforce stood at 9,401 in January 2025. According to a Member States Briefing document, the agency now expects to eliminate 2,371 positions by June 2026.
Some staff are being laid off, while others are leaving through retirement or voluntary departures.
The organisation stated that it designed the restructuring to protect its “core technical capabilities.”
The cuts will hit headquarters and regional offices unevenly. WHO plans to reduce staff in its Geneva headquarters by 28%.
The Africa Region will lose around 25% of its workforce. The Southeast Asia and Eastern Mediterranean regions will each face 14% staff cuts.
The European Region will cut its workforce by 24%, and the Western Pacific Region will reduce its staff by 7%.
These figures exclude temporary staff and consultants, and reports say the WHO has already released many of them.
WHO acknowledged in August that hundreds of employees had already departed.
This was the agency’s first public confirmation of the scale of the restructuring.
The briefing document also revealed a major financial challenge ahead: WHO faces a $1.06 billion funding shortfall for its 2026-2027 budget, nearly a quarter of what it needs.
The gap is smaller than the $1.7 billion deficit estimated in May but still substantial.
The organisation expects its 2026 workforce to be slightly younger, with 51% of employees aged 30-49, compared to 49% previously.
WHO also reported significant cost savings in 2025, including a 50% reduction in travel expenses by the end of October and notable reductions in procurement costs.
The funding crisis has forced the WHO to reshape its global footprint, trim its workforce, and tighten operations, signalling one of the most significant organisational overhauls in its recent history.
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