LOC16:33
13:33 GMT
GENEVA, Oct 6 (KUNA) -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi on Monday warned of a "serious funding crisis" facing the organization that could "stop critical programmes affecting the lives of millions of refugees and host communities worldwide".
Grandi gave the warning in his opening statement to the seventy-sixth plenary session of the Executive Committee of the UNHCR in Geneva Grandi, urging the international community to provide an urgent injection of at least 300 million dollars in flexible resources by year end.
He said that almost 5,000 UNHCR colleagues have already lost their jobs this year more than a quarter of the entire workforce.
Grandi stressed that what UNHCR is facing is "not simply a financial crisis but a political choice with disastrous financial implications" imposed on the international humanitarian system.
He confirmed that the cuts "have affected all sectors and countries without exception", noting that "gender-based violence prevention work stopped. Psychosocial support to survivors of torture stopped. Schools were closed. Food assistance decreased. Cash grants cut. Resettlement ground to a halt."
He called on Member States and donors to "pledge and disburse funds for 2026 as early as possible," warning that if the downward trend in funding continues, many field programmes could be forced to close next year.
The UN official underlined that the "pressure on refugees, on refugee-hosting countries, and on the humanitarian system all at once" risks setting off "a domino effect of instability" and **worsening displacement once again.
This severe financial crisis facing the UNHCR has worsened since the United States announced the suspension of its foreign aid including its contributions to United Nations funding. (end)
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