While Donald Trump threatens to raze Iran, the United Nations (UN) struggles to fund its humanitarian program. A process in which “aspiring autocrats” take the world hostage for their imperialistic ambitions is causing long-term damage.
Present in London on Monday, April 20, the UN Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, estimated that the military budget squandered in the Middle East war by the White House could have funded the saving of over 87 million lives, as reported by the Guardian. According to his calculations, Washington has been spending nearly $2 billion per day since the start of the war against Tehran.
“We could have funded this amount in 15 days,” Fletcher said.
“The idea that suddenly it is acceptable to say ‘we are going to blow everything up, we are going to bomb you back to the Stone Age, destroy your civilization’ is really dangerous,” Fletcher warned, noting that the normalization of this language jeopardizes his mission. His ultra-prioritized plan to save 87 million lives costs $23 billion. He laments, “We could have funded this amount in less than fifteen days of this senseless war. Today, of course, it is impossible.”
Beyond the civilians directly targeted by the US and Israel, over 240 million victims of war, epidemics, earthquakes, or the impact of climate change are endangered. Despite numerous alerts from the UN in recent months, the war camp continues with the massacres.
“We are only asking for a little over 1% of what the world spends on weapons and defense,” Fletcher said in December, calling for more focus on humanitarianism and less on defense.
The UN is forced to reduce its ambitions and deal with the erratic behavior of US diplomacy.
Describing his experience with the White House, Fletcher criticized the “roller-coaster ride” imposed on him by Trump’s relays. The purely capitalist approach of Trump’s intermediaries, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who are respectively a business lawyer and businessman, has introduced a financial scrutiny within the UN.
“A majority of the people I work with come from the real estate sector,” Fletcher summarized, pointing out the difference between politics and real estate. The UN must also navigate the demanding and repressive requirements of the United States, where racist and transphobic policies are enforced.
As Washington demands measures against abortion rights and immigration, Fletcher questions, “The question is whether we accept this money under these conditions, knowing that it will save millions of lives, or not?” These dilemmas are imposed on the international community, highlighting its dependence on the US.
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Context: The article discusses the challenges faced by the United Nations in funding its humanitarian programs due to the significant military spending by the US government in the Middle East war.
Fact Check: The claims made by Tom Fletcher regarding the potential funding and impact on lives are reported accurately.
