Fri Jul 18 19:02:23 UTC 2025: **News Article:**
**UNHCR Faces “Dramatic” Funding Crisis, Millions of Refugees at Risk**
GENEVA – The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) is facing a severe funding shortfall that threatens humanitarian aid for over 11 million refugees worldwide. A newly released report reveals that the agency has received only 23% of its $10.6 billion goal for the year, projecting a budget of just $3.5 billion to meet the needs of 122 million people.
“Our funding situation is dramatic,” said Dominique Hyde, UNHCR’s director of external relations. “We fear that up to 11.6 million refugees and people forced to flee are losing access to humanitarian assistance provided by UNHCR.”
The crisis has been compounded by a major reduction in funding from the United States, which provided 40% of the agency’s donations last year. The Trump administration has made funding cuts to USAID and its aid programs worldwide, citing a plan to remove wasteful spending.
As a result, UNHCR has had to halt or suspend $1.4 billion worth of aid programs, including a 60% reduction in financial aid and emergency relief supplies in countries such as Sudan, Myanmar, and Afghanistan. Critical services like medical aid, education, shelter, nutrition, and protection are being deeply affected.
In Bangladesh, education for 230,000 Rohingya refugee children is at risk. Programs addressing gender-based violence have also been significantly cut, disproportionately affecting women and girls.
UNHCR is downsizing by a third, cutting 3,500 staff positions. This comes after a recent UN report warned that Trump’s halt to foreign funding could reverse progress on HIV/AIDS, potentially leading to millions of new infections and deaths.
First Piper 