Speaking at an event hosted by Chatham House in London on Monday, Fletcher warned that the financial cost of the conflict, combined with increasingly aggressive rhetoric, is fueling a growing global humanitarian crisis.
Fletcher, a former British diplomat, said the Iran conflict is costing around $2 billion per day. By contrast, he noted that the UN’s critical humanitarian response plan requires about $23 billion annually to save the lives of approximately 87 million people.
“We could have funded the entire year’s humanitarian response with less than two weeks of this reckless war spending,” Fletcher said, expressing frustration over the funding gap.
Currently, the UN faces a shortfall of nearly $10 billion in its humanitarian funding target, which Fletcher described as “catastrophic.” He warned that countries including the United States are cutting foreign aid budgets while increasing military spending, further deepening the crisis.
Fletcher also criticized Trump’s past threats to “bomb Iran back to the stone age,” calling such rhetoric dangerous. He said normalizing violent language encourages authoritarian leaders elsewhere to adopt similar tactics, potentially violating international law and putting civilian infrastructure and lives at risk.
Describing relations with the Trump administration as a “rollercoaster,” Fletcher argued that its approach relies less on traditional statecraft and more on deal-making strategies akin to real estate practices. He said this approach prioritizes personal relationships over institutional processes and often leverages uncertainty to achieve outcomes.
Fletcher further warned that the Iran conflict has already driven global food and energy price inflation to nearly 20%, with long-term effects expected to hit countries across Africa, potentially pushing millions more into extreme poverty.
He also criticized British policymakers, arguing that cuts to foreign aid over the past decade have weakened the United Kingdom’s ability to lead internationally and may encourage other nations to reduce their contributions.
Finally, Fletcher raised serious concerns about the safety of humanitarian workers. Over the past three years, more than 1,000 aid workers have been killed in incidents including drone strikes. He urged world leaders to move beyond statements and take concrete action against those responsible, including halting the supply of weapons to perpetrators.
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