UN Faces Cash Crunch, Warns Funds Could Run Out by August

The United Nations will run out of cash by August and is waiting for contributions to operate after September, according to a senior budget official. Chandramouli Ramanathan, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Programme Planning, Finance and Budget, stated that the regular budget is nearly depleted. “We are almost out of cash. We have no cash after August. We are waiting for the collection to survive after September,” Ramanathan told a press conference on Wednesday. He added, “So, whatever happens, we are likely to end the year with zero cash, which means barely surviving with a reduced budget.” Ramanathan noted that the UN would face a crisis in September unless the United States and China pay their contributions, but even if they do, funds will run out by the end of 2026. “If one of them does not pay on time, we will face a bit of a crisis in September. But if they do not pay at all or pay less than the original amount, then we will face a bit of a challenge at the end of the year,” he said. “However, even if both pay, we will end the year with almost all our cash exhausted.”