Cutbacks av bistandspesome i national boutcast has led toat least $300 million in flexible funds is needed before the end of the year, tasker Filippo Big, chief for the UN refugee agency UNHCR, p.if means that dan economic the crisis that UNCHR upplever leavear “no country, no sector, and no partner” oconcerned.
Since 2015, the number of people displaced has almost doubled to 122 million. At the same time, UNHCR has been suffering from financial challenges for a long time that have had “devastating consequences”, says CEO Filippo Grandi for the audience at 76th session of the UNHCR Executive Committee in Geneva, Switzerland.
– No country, no sector, no partner has been left untouched. Crucial programs and life-saving efforts have had to be halted.
After UNHCR previously announced that 3,500 jobs will be eliminated they have now been forced to lay off additional staff. A total of up to 5,000 employees in 2025.
According to own reports In 2024, the organization only had access to about 30 percent of the budget that was deemed necessary. This year, the organization estimates that they need $10,6 billion to meet the growing needs of the world's refugees. But they only expect to raise around 3,9 billion. A decrease of 25 percent compared to 2024.
In June, UNHCR estimated that the cuts risks affecting around 11,6 million refugees who may lose access to vital assistance and during the year the organization has had to shut down operations in, among other things, Sudan, Yemen and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The earmarking of countries’ contributions to UNHCR is preventing money from being channeled to areas where it is most needed. This is a contributing factor to the need for at least $300 million in flexible funds before the end of the year to avoid a similarly large budget deficit, says Grandi.
Despite cuts in the Swedish aid budget, Sweden is still the country that, together with Norway, provides the most unearmarked money to UNHCR. Nsomething that Grandi pointed out when he ended his speech by thanking all those actors who have long contributed money and other forms of support to UNHCR.
Grandi's appointment expires at the end of the year. In recent days, news broke that The Swedish government nominates Jesper Brodin, outgoing CEO of IKEA Sphere Ingka, as the new head of the UN refugee agency UNHCR.
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