UNHCR Warns Funding Shortfall Puts 8.3 Million Refugees at Risk

UNHCR warned from Geneva on Sept. 29, 2026, that nearly 8.3 million refugees and forcibly displaced people risk losing vital assistance. It had received about $2.7 billion by end of July—32% of the $8.5 billion needed—after available funding fell from $5.2 billion in 2024 to $3.9 billion in 2025. In Chad, 319,000 refugees face registration delays, up to 200,000 women and girls risk losing safe spaces, and about 233,000 minors risk losing child protection. Ethiopia's safe-space capacity for GBV survivors has more than halved in a year, with child protection coverage down by up to 85% in some areas. In Sudan, tens of thousands of sexual violence survivors and at-risk children could lose protection services. Iraq could see up to 350,000 lose economic inclusion support; 162,500 vulnerable people in Syria will miss economic aid without new funds; Afghanistan reintegration reached 175 households in 2026 versus 5,300 in 2024. Dominique Hyde, UNHCR's Director of External Relations, said when registration stops or child protection disappears, the risks people fled reappear, and that beyond a certain funding level services can stop functioning altogether. UNHCR said it has prioritized critical work and needs flexible funding to keep essential services running when crises escalate.