UN High Commissioner Salih warns of refugee protection fund and budget cuts

The head of the UN Refugee Agency stated that deep budget cuts have placed the global refugee protection system in a difficult position, announcing that vulnerable individuals in regions such as Sudan, Chad, and Ethiopia are being deprived of vital aid.

Severe budget cuts endanger protection

The UN Refugee Agency, established after World War II to protect those fleeing persecution, is facing a severe challenge due to deep budget cuts implemented today.

Speaking for the first time at the meeting in Geneva, the head of the agency stated that the world's most vulnerable segments cannot access the aid they need and that it has been an exceptional year with the departure of thousands of personnel within the agency.

Reflections of the crisis in Sudan, Chad, and Ethiopia

In Sudan, services such as medical care, legal assistance, and psychological support for thousands of survivors of conflict-related sexual violence have been put at risk due to insufficient funding.

While services for unaccompanied and vulnerable children are at risk in Chad, refugee registration procedures for arrivals from South Sudan and Eritrea have been suspended in Ethiopia.

Growing global humanitarian aid needs

Conflicts are displacing people much faster than governments and aid organizations can assist, creating a massive crisis worldwide.

The agency, which has responded to numerous emergencies from Yemen to Sudan since the beginning of the year, has received less than a third of the funding required for this year.

Call for international solidarity and future goals

While dissatisfaction was expressed over the lack of international solidarity by countries hosting refugees for decades, it was stated that refugees also worry about their security.

It was emphasized that a new initiative aimed at halving the number of refugees in protracted displacement by 2035 is ongoing and that millions of people remain dependent on aid.