Refugees Almost 5000 people have lost their jobs at the UNHCR
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) needs at least 300 million dollars by the end of the year to avoid a deficit. Almost 5,000 employees have lost their jobs this year, said UN High Commissioner Filippo Grandi in Geneva on Monday.
06.10.2025, 11:57
SDA
Without additional funding, the UNHCR will face "a very difficult start to 2026", the UN High Commissioner for Refugees told member states. The UN organization, which is facing cuts from the USA and several countries, could run into a liquidity bottleneck.
It had already announced plans to cut between 3,500 and 4,000 jobs this year. This figure has now risen to almost 5000, said Grandi, and he expects that further cuts will be necessary.
Changes or closures have been made in 185 UNHCR offices worldwide. For 2024, the UNHCR had requested more than 10 billion US dollars, which was approved by the member states. In contrast, it expects only 3.9 billion US dollars by the end of 2025.
Grandi added: "I do not believe that this is just a financial crisis." He criticized "political decisions that have devastating financial consequences".
It will take years to restore expertise within the organization, he said. However, the UN High Commissioner promised that the UNHCR would consistently continue its support for refugees. The UNHCR is requesting 8.5 billion US dollars for 2026.
