UN envoy warns US funding cuts could undermine Libyan elections

The head of the United Nations mission in Libya, Hanna Tetteh, has raised concerns that proposed US funding cuts to the UN could jeopardize efforts to stabilize Libya and hold national elections, Bloomberg reports.

Despite persistent unrest between Libya’s two main rival factions, the UN remains committed to facilitating elections as part of its peace-building efforts. However, Tetteh warned that reduced funding may hinder public engagement and limit the UN’s capacity to support the process.

“We won’t be able to roll this out the way we had anticipated, and that means it will be more difficult to get the public understanding and the public buy-in,” Tetteh said.

All UN member states are obligated to contribute to the organization’s core budget, which supports peacekeeping, political missions, and administrative functions. The United States has historically been the largest contributor, providing approximately $13 billion in 2023, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. Additionally, the US voluntarily funds key agencies like UNICEF and the World Food Programme.

However, the Trump administration has proposed sharp reductions to both mandatory and voluntary contributions. As a result, multiple UN agencies have begun scaling back operations and laying off staff in anticipation of decreased funding.

Tetteh noted that the UN’s Libya initiatives rely on the regular UN budget, which was not approved by the US Congress this year. She did not specify the amount the US typically allocates to the Libya mission.

Meanwhile, political tensions in Tripoli have escalated. The internationally recognized government, led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, has clashed with rival factions as he attempts to consolidate power. Civilians, caught in the middle, have expressed growing frustration with the leadership with some calling for Dbeibah’s resignation.

“Except for those who are actually in leadership at the moment, most Libyans are fed up with the current situation, want to see a change, but just don’t know how it is to be achieved,” said Tetteh.