USA UNHCR orders austerity program after US spending freeze
Following the US spending freeze on international aid, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has ordered an austerity program.
29.01.2025, 13:30
SDA
"While we are still assessing the implications of the new US administration's decision, including possible exemptions, we are implementing a number of temporary precautionary measures to mitigate the impact of this funding uncertainty," a spokesperson said in response to a request.
The British newspaper "Guardian" had previously quoted from an internal email in which UNHCR head Filippo Grandi asked his colleagues to temporarily stop hiring and ordering material as well as travel except for emergency aid. The UNHCR did not wish to comment on the email.
The USA contributes around a fifth of the budget of the organization, which has around 20,000 employees and cares for more than 120 million refugees worldwide. In 2024, the USA paid a good two billion dollars to the UNHCR.
The US State Department announced the temporary halt to foreign aid on Sunday. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has initiated a review of all foreign aid programs to ensure that they are effective and consistent with US foreign policy as part of President Donald Trump's America First agenda.
