Amman, Oct. 12 (Petra) – UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham
Salih warned on Monday that a massive funding shortfall will force
the agency to make “painful cuts” to its global humanitarian
operations.

Salih told the UNHCR Executive Committee in Geneva that internal
restructuring alone cannot offset the continuous decline in donor
support, according to Reuters.

He revealed that the agency secured only $3 billion, just 35 percent
of the $8.5 billion required to fund its global operations for 2026.
The budget crunch has already forced the UNHCR to undertake one of
the largest restructures in its history, shrinking its global
workforce from 20,000 staff members in 2024 to fewer than 12,000
today.

Funding projections for the coming year remain precarious, according
to Salih. While the agency currently anticipates receiving around
$2.68 billion for 2027, he expressed hope that the outlook will
improve following a major donor pledging conference scheduled for
December.

However, Salih warned that without significant donor commitments, the
agency’s capacity to assist vulnerable refugee populations worldwide
will be “severely compromised.”

//Petra// HA