NEW YORK, July 2. /Dunyo IA/. Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations Chandru Ramanathan said the organization may face a liquidity shortage as early as September due to delayed contributions from its largest donors, the United States and China, reports Dunyo IA correspondent, citing the UNifeed.

He noted that the UN budget is under pressure due to cash flow gaps, when even approved expenditures cannot be fully financed. According to him, the UN peacekeeping budget for 2026 amounts to 5.1 billion US dollars, which is 9.7% lower than the previous year. With staff reductions taken into account, the real decrease in spending reaches about 14%.

The organization’s financial position largely depends on its largest donors. The United States and China account for about 42% of the UN regular budget.

China’s arrears on the regular budget amount to 428 million dollars, with an additional 65 million dollars owed for peacekeeping contributions. “We expect them to pay 428 million dollars in September and December into installments,” the UN representative said.

The situation with the United States is more complex: arrears on the regular budget exceed 2 billion dollars, while outstanding payments for peacekeeping operations amount to about 1.7–1.8 billion dollars.

According to the UN, delayed contributions could lead to a liquidity shortage as early as September, and by the end of the year the organization risks ending the period with virtually no financial reserves.