Romilly Greenhill and Nilima Gulrajani both work at The Overseas Development Institute. Romilly Greenhill is a Senior Research Fellow in the Growth, Poverty and Inequality team where she specialises in development finance issues, especially relating to the Leave No One Behind Agenda. Nilima Gulrajani is a Senior Research Fellow in Development Strategy and Finance team specialising in the design and performance of public organisations, including multilateral and bilateral development agencies.
These are troubling financial times for the United Nations (UN). Recent estimates suggest the UN is US$ 22.8 billion short for meeting the humanitarian needs of 98.2 million people affected by crisis in 36 countries.1 Meanwhile, the single largest donor to the UN, the United States, is threatening to cut assessed and voluntary funding by as much as 50%.2 The ambitious global mission of the United Nations is, sadly, not matched by its balance sheet.