Facing a daunting year, UN refugee agency receives record support for forcibly displaced people

By Peter Kenny

GENEVA (AA) – The UN refugee agency said Tuesday that governments pledged a record $1.13 billion to provide help and a lifeline to people displaced from their homes by war, violence, and human rights violations, to support the work of UNHCR in 2023.

Along with a commitment of $400 million from the UNHCR’s private sector National Partners, the total amount announced is $1.53 billion, the agency said.

“As a result of conflict, the climate emergency, and other crises, a record number of displaced people around the world face unprecedented needs,” said Filippo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees.

“Fortunately, UNHCR’s generous donors continue to support them during these dire days, creating hope for a brighter future.”

These commitments mean that the UNHCR will start 2023 with the confidence that it can cover 15% of the anticipated needs for the year.

The US provided the UNHCR with a record $2.1 billion this year and led the pledges with a $200 million commitment, followed by Germany and Japan.

In response to the UNHCR’s appeal for more flexible funding that enables agility in an emergency and allows UNHCR to address underfunded situations, the governments of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands set a positive example, said the UN agency.

The UNHCR asked donors for $10.211 billion in 2023, the first time it projected over $10 billion in needs at the start of a year.

- New conflicts

As new conflicts arise and others go unresolved, more than 100 million people are forcibly displaced, the highest number recorded, according to the UNHCR.

It said the UNHCR programs support the forcibly displaced and the governments and communities that host them by promoting their empowerment and inclusion, helping them resolve their situations, and making them less dependent on humanitarian aid.

“I was distressed by the cuts we were forced to make this year to lifesaving programs as funding fell short of needs,” Grandi said.

“We are living in turbulent times. Unresolved conflicts, rising prices, and more damaging climate events pile pressure on the most vulnerable. The funding announced today will help alleviate some of the hardship, but much more is needed throughout the year.”

Governments attending the conference in Geneva also pledged $721 million for 2024 and beyond, a crucial contribution to the planning and stability of the UNHCR’s longer-term support programs.

Grandi explained that he was “heartened by the outpouring of support from the public in so many countries for UNHCR’s work in Ukraine and beyond.”

Private-sector National Partners support UNHCR in Argentina, Australia, Germany, Japan, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and the US.

The UNHCR said the response to the situations in Ukraine and Afghanistan and many other evolving and protracted crises means that the UN agency's 2023 budget is 13.5% higher than the original 2022 budget of $8.994 billion.