GENEVA: The UN refugee agency has scaled back its budget by 16 percent and lowered its official headcount by around 3,500 as it adapts to new financial constraints at a time when global displacement is forecast to climb to an all-time high next year, according to diplomats and documents seen by Reuters.
The total cuts, on paper, would amount to a near halving of the workforce and a drop in the budget of a third since 2025, laying bare the cumulative impact of cuts due to reductions in foreign aid budgets by the Trump administration and others.
In 2025, UNHCR had 16,126 budgeted posts versus 12,051 this year and 8,540 in 2027, the budget documents showed, excluding temporary roles and contractors.
UNHCR officials presented the latest cuts to member states at a UN meeting in Geneva on Thursday, according to three diplomats who attended.
However, a UN refugee agency spokesperson said that, in reality, such large cuts would not be implemented since many posts were never filled in previous budgets, which reflected needs and funding goals, rather than realized donations.
