The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has laid off nearly 5,000 staff this year as it grapples with a severe funding crisis driven by dramatic cuts in international aid, its chief revealed on Monday.
Speaking to reporters, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi warned that the crisis is deepening, even as global displacement reaches record levels.
“Almost 5,000 UNHCR colleagues have already lost their jobs this year. This is more than a quarter of our entire workforce,” Grandi said, adding that the number is expected to rise.
An agency spokesperson confirmed to AFP that both full-time employees and those on temporary or consultancy contracts were affected by the cuts.
The UNHCR’s financial woes follow a significant decline in humanitarian aid, particularly from the United States — traditionally its largest donor. Since President Donald Trump returned to office in January, Washington has slashed its foreign aid budget, triggering ripple effects across the global humanitarian system.
The US previously accounted for over 40% of the UNHCR’s annual budget. Coupled with reductions from other major donors, the agency now faces what Grandi described as a “dire situation.”
“The numbers are bleak,” he said. “We are seeing an erosion of support at a time when needs have never been greater.”
UNHCR had approved a $10.6 billion budget for 2025, but recent trends suggest the agency may only receive $3.9 billion — a shortfall of $1.3 billion compared to 2024 and nearly 25% less than last year’s funding.
“As things stand, we will receive approximately half of our budget requirements — or less,” Grandi noted.
The funding collapse has already led to the suspension of several critical programs. Grandi cited the closure of schools, the reduction of food assistance, the halting of resettlement programmes, and the discontinuation of vital services including gender-based violence prevention, psychosocial support for torture survivors, and cash grants.
“No country, no sector, no partner has been spared,” he said. “This is what happens when you slash over a billion dollars in humanitarian funding in a matter of weeks.”
Grandi’s comments highlight the growing disconnect between escalating global humanitarian needs and shrinking international support, a situation aid workers say is unsustainable and risks further destabilizing vulnerable communities.
AFP
