UNHCR to close its offices in Angola due to shortage of funds

By James Kunda

LUSAKA, Zambia (AA) - The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) will close its offices in Angola in the last quarter of 2025 due to a shortage of funds caused by a decrease in funding and donations.

The UNHCR representative in Angola, Emmanuelle Mitte, said the “global situation” had seen the organization struggling with financial limitations, significantly affecting its actions to assist refugees and the office's full operations.

Mitte however assured that the closure of the offices will not affect UNHCR's support to the Angolan government regarding assistance to more than 56,000 refugees as the organization plans to open an office in South Africa to supervise UNHCR's activities in Angola, the Angola Press Agency quoted him as saying.

Mitte added that some funds were also being mobilized to create a “small office” in Angola to be manned by two officers.

The UNHCR in Angola controls 56,000 refugees of various nationalities, mostly from neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo.