UN warns of worsening displacement crises amid severe humanitarian funding shortfall
Geneva, October 12 (KUNA) -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, warned today, Monday, of a widening gap between humanitarian needs and the funding available to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), as forced displacement crises around the world worsen, affecting more than 170 million people who have been forced to leave their homes due to conflict and violence.
In a speech before the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner’s Programme, which opened today in Geneva and will continue until the 15th of the current month, Grandi stated that the agency is suffering from a severe funding shortage despite the austerity measures it has implemented. He cautioned that continued declines in funding threaten to halt the provision of essential services to refugees and the most vulnerable groups.
He noted that funds available to UNHCR as of the 9th of the month amounted to $3 billion, representing approximately 35 percent of the total estimated needs of $8.5 billion for 2026. Meanwhile, funding projections for 2027 stand at around $2.68 billion.
Grandi explained that UNHCR has been forced to restructure and adopt numerous austerity measures, including cost reductions, enhanced financial oversight, prioritization of activities, scaling back its presence in many regions, and workforce reductions. He added that approximately 8,000 staff members have left the organization since 2024, reducing the workforce from nearly 20,000 to just under 12,000. He noted that UNHCR is considering reducing its field presence, regional offices, and headquarters to minimize duplication and streamline administrative structures.
Emphasizing that reform should not be limited to expenditure cuts, Grandi stressed that it must lead to a more flexible, sustainable, and accountable organization capable of directing its resources toward areas that achieve the greatest impact in protecting refugees, assisting them, and finding durable solutions for them.
The UN official also outlined the “50 by 2035” initiative, which aims to halve the number of refugees living in protracted displacement situations and dependent on humanitarian assistance by 2035. This goal will be pursued by promoting self-reliance, expanding opportunities for employment and education, and achieving sustainable solutions. He stressed that the objective is not to reduce humanitarian aid but to reduce refugees’ dependence on it.
He also underscored the importance of supporting host countries, noting that nations accounting for only 27 percent of global wealth host 80 percent of the world’s refugees, necessitating international support commensurate with the responsibilities they bear.
He affirmed the importance of developing fair and effective asylum systems, enhancing international cooperation on migration and movement routes, expanding legal and regular pathways, and encouraging voluntary returns under appropriate procedures and safeguards. (End) A.M.K. / N.S.A.
