Jagan Chapagain: Is the global humanitarian system breaking down?

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies chief on US aid cuts, attacks on aid workers and whether neutrality can survive modern wars.

As wars intensify and donor funding dries up, the global humanitarian system is under unprecedented strain. Jagan Chapagain, secretary-general of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, warns that life-saving operations are being scaled back just as needs explode from Gaza and Sudan to Ukraine and climate-driven disasters worldwide. He addresses United States and European aid cuts, attacks on humanitarian workers, the erosion of international law, and whether neutrality and protection still mean anything in today’s conflicts.

Published On 18 Jan 2026