GENEVA: The United Nations refugee agency said Tuesday 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.
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.
