The United Nations refugee agency has said it had secured more than $1.5 billion in early pledges to support its work in 2026, at a time when aid funding is plummeting globally.
“Today’s commitments show that the world has not turned its back on people forced to flee and that support for refugees endures,” United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) chief Filippo Grandi said in a statement on Tuesday.
During a donor conference in Geneva, governments pledged $1.16 billion to the agency for 2026, which was “slightly above the amount pledged last year, which was an all-time high,” it said.
An additional commitment of $350 million from the private sector brought the total to $1.5 billion, covering nearly 18 percent of the UNHCR’s projected funding needs for next year, it said, adding that additional contributions were expected in the coming months.
Top government contributors included Denmark, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, and Norway, alongside substantially increased contributions from Ireland, Luxembourg, and Iceland, the UNHCR said.
It was welcome news for the agency, which is grappling with a towering crisis: amid surging global displacement, humanitarian funding has been fast evaporating this year.
UNHCR is currently engaged in wide-ranging humanitarian operations across multiple regions, notably, Palestinian refugees, Sudan, the DRC, and Rohingya refugees.
US slashing aid
The United States, traditionally the world’s top donor, has slashed foreign aid spending since President Donald Trump returned to office in January, while other major donor countries have tightened their belts.