Key facts
- UNHCR warned that a funding crisis could leave 8.3 million refugees and displaced people without aid.
- The agency faces a $5.789 billion funding gap.
- Available funds for UNHCR have fallen 24% between 2024 and 2025.
- As of July, UNHCR had received only 32% of the $8.505 billion it required for 2026.
- The population under UNHCR's mandate is expected to reach 131.2 million by year-end.
- UNHCR has already cut its workforce by 33% in 2025 and closed offices in 140 locations.
The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) warned on Tuesday that a deepening funding crisis could leave nearly 8.3 million refugees and forcibly displaced people without access to assistance this year, potentially pushing protection systems in some countries towards collapse. The agency is facing one of its worst-ever funding shortfalls, with available funds falling 24% between 2024 and 2025, contributing to a $5.789 billion gap.
As of July, UNHCR had received only 32% of the $8.505 billion it required for 2026, while the global population of forcibly displaced and stateless people is near record levels and expected to reach 131.2 million by year-end. The agency stated that below a certain threshold, the system does not shrink but fails, impacting refugee registration, child protection programs, and services for survivors of gender-based violence.
Severe consequences are highlighted in host countries. In Chad, 319,000 people face registration delays, and 200,000 women and girls could lose access to safe spaces. In Sudan, approximately 140,000 refugees and asylum-seekers remained unregistered by mid-year due to suspended registration activities. In Afghanistan, UNHCR grants for returning individuals have been reduced from $375 to $170 per person, despite over one million people returning to the country this year.
UNHCR has already implemented cost-saving measures, including a 33% workforce reduction in 2025, closure of offices in 140 locations, and discontinuation of operations in 15 countries compared to 2024. Furthermore, a growing share of donor funding is tightly earmarked, rising to 51% in 2026 from 19% five years prior, limiting the agency's flexibility to address urgent priorities. The agency warned that reduced funding is eroding the protection system, increasing the risk of refugees remaining undocumented and survivors of gender-based violence being left without support.