Published on: 2026-09-29
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
September 29, 2026 Refugees and Migrants
Almost 8.3 million refugees, internally displaced persons, and stateless people are at risk of losing access to vital assistance. This is stated in a new report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Due to funding cuts, the support and protection systems within the largest displacement crises are on the brink of collapse, and UNHCR is forced to scale back key programs.
From 2024 to 2025, the amount of available funds decreased from $5.2 billion to $3.9 billion. By the end of July 2026, the Office had received only 32 percent of the $8.5 billion needed this year. At the same time, the number of people the UNHCR is called upon to protect remains at historically high levels.
“When registration ends, shelters close, or child protection services disappear, the very threats people fled from – violence, exploitation, and abuse – catch up with them again. Families find themselves in a vicious circle of vulnerability, some forced to seek a safe place again or becoming victims of human traffickers,” said UNHCR Director of External Relations Dominique Hyde.
According to her, it is impossible to endlessly reduce protection without collapsing the entire system. Below a certain threshold, services not only cover fewer people – they may stop working altogether.
Chad, Ethiopia, and Sudan
In Chad, 319 thousand refugees have encountered registration delays: without documents, they cannot access services and risk being detained. Up to 200 thousand women and girls may lose access to safe spaces and prevention programs, and about 233 thousand children—to protection services.
In Ethiopia, over the course of a year, the number of places in shelters for victims of gender-based violence has more than halved, and coverage of child protection programs in some areas has decreased by 85 percent. In Sudan, tens of thousands of people who have experienced sexual violence, and children at serious risk, may be left without vital protection.
No chance for independence
The reduction in funding also undermines efforts aimed at enabling displaced people to stop relying on humanitarian aid. In Chad, programs providing livelihoods, vocational training, and entrepreneurship development for around 395,000 refugees and host community members are at risk. In Iraq, up to 350,000 refugees and asylum seekers face losing opportunities for economic integration.
Those who try to rebuild their lives in their homeland, whether voluntarily or forcibly returned, also face difficulties. In Syria, 162,500 vulnerable internally displaced persons and returning refugees will not receive financial assistance at the early stage of return unless additional funds are received soon. In Afghanistan, only 175 families received reintegration benefits in 2026 – in 2024, such assistance was provided to 5,300 families.
Flexible financing
At the same time, UNHCR has fewer and fewer opportunities to direct scarce resources to where they are most needed. The share of funds tied to specific activities or projects increased from 19 percent in 2022 to 51 percent in 2026.
“Flexible funding allows us to deploy the right specialists and resources where they are needed most. Thanks to it, our teams can quickly respond to changing needs, maintain essential services, and remain on-site when crises escalate. It is also important that it helps us respond to new emergencies without forgetting about crises that have disappeared from the headlines,” Haid emphasized.
UNHCR calls on donors and partners to immediately provide support and expand flexible funding to maintain achieved results and help people stop relying on humanitarian aid and rebuild their lives.
Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the information source. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.