UN: Funding Cuts Increases Risk of Violence, Poverty, DeathNew York, 4 May (ONA) — A UNHCR official warned that significant funding cuts are depriving the world’s most vulnerable refugees of vital support, as they now face greater risks of abuse, poverty, and being forced to return home or embark on new, perilous journeys.
“Two thirds of refugees find safety in countries neighbouring their own, most of which are resource-poor. Reduced funding is hitting hardest these refugees and their host communities, which are already stretched to the limits”, Director of International Protection at UNHCR, Elizabeth Tan, said in a press conference.
She noted that protection programs have been reduced or eliminated in many areas, leaving women, children, and survivors of violence without support. Tan added that in South Sudan, 75 percent of UNHCR’s spaces for women and girls are no longer providing services, leaving up to 80,000 victims with no medical care, legal, or economic assistance.
The UN official noted that “In the Eastern Horn of Africa and Great Lakes region, one million vulnerable children face increased risk of abuse and exploitation”. She added that UNHCR’s ability to protect, register, and respond to emergencies is severely compromised. “Your support can make a difference. It can save lives, restore dignity, and offer hope to those who have lost everything”, Tan concluded.— Ends/Khalid