The United Nations refugee agency announced it has secured over $1.5 billion in early pledges for its work in 2026, amidst a global decline in aid funding.
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.
