UNHCR Hits Record USD 1.5 Billion In Early Funding To Support Refugees – OpEd

As humanitarian emergencies in the Middle East and Africa keep escalating—including in Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan and most recently in Syria—there was a glimmer of hope to millions starved of food and deprived of shelter and medication in war zones.

According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), donor governments “pledged a record US$ 1.143 billion (on December 3) to provide protection, life-saving assistance and solutions to millions of people uprooted by the increasing number of conflicts across the world.”

This was a show of support for the work of the UN Refugee Agency, and its partners ahead of 2025.

Along with a commitment of $355 million from UNHCR’s private sector National Partners, the total amount announced was $1.5 billion, covering 15 per cent of anticipated needs for the year.

“These resources will allow UNHCR to start the year with greater confidence and continue its work, a lifeline to many forcibly displaced people, delivering aid in emergencies, providing protection and humanitarian assistance, and seeking longer-term solutions”, the refugee agency said.

The United States led the pledges with $200 million, followed by Denmark and Sweden, with notable increases announced by the Netherlands and Germany.

Several countries showed new or strengthened early support this year, including Armenia, Bulgaria and Lithuania.

The governments of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Australia and Ireland showed once again their strong support by pledging flexible funding, which enables UNHCR to quickly deliver aid in new emergencies and to respond to underfunded situations, the agency said.

Governments attending UNHCR’s pledging conference also guaranteed $283 million in funding for 2026 and beyond. This is crucial to the planning and stability of UNHCR’s long-term programmes aimed at fostering lasting solutions.

“We live in a world ravaged by brutal and seemingly endless conflicts that tear lives apart and send people on a desperate flight for safety,” said Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

“The robust support shown today to refugees and other forcibly displaced people resonates as a much-needed message of solidarity and humanity. The pledges made are a commitment to save lives, restore dignity and bring hope to millions of people forced to flee,” he noted.

In 2024, the five largest donors contributing to UNHCR’s work were the United States of America, Germany, the European Union, Sweden and France.

UNHCR also acknowledges the support of its five largest government donors of unearmarked funding—Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Denmark and the Netherlands—as well as of National Partners providing such flexible funding, which the Agency allocates where it is needed the most, especially in emergencies and underfunded crises.

Meanwhile, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that a new Israeli evacuation order was issued December 2 in Khan Younis Governorate, impacting more than 2,000 people.

This directive—which is the fourth such evacuation order for this area since July – covers about 3 square kilometres.

OCHA stresses once again that repeated evacuation orders—which are now in effect for about 80 per cent of the Gaza Strip—leave civilians exposed to the dangers of hostilities and deprived of access to essential services.

For nearly two months, North Gaza governorate has been under a tightening siege, leaving between 65,000 and 75,000 people without regular access to food, water, electricity or reliable health care, as mass casualty incidents continue.

“Our humanitarian partners report that the entire population of Gaza needs humanitarian assistance, including more than 58,000 people with disabilities who face further challenges in accessing food there” OCHA said.

In the South, some people are skipping meals and searching through trash to find food —or resorting to desperate measures, including early marriage or child labour.

Despite the catastrophic situation, OCHA warns that humanitarian access continues to be obstructed. In November, out of 578 planned aid movements across Gaza that require coordination with Israeli authorities, 41 per cent were facilitated.

More than a third were denied outright, and the rest were either impeded or cancelled due to security and logistical challenges.

Once again, OCHA underscores that civilians must be able to receive the humanitarian assistance they need. Whether they move or whether they stay, they must have assistance and they must be protected—and those who flee must be allowed to return as soon as circumstances allow.

Meanwhile, the growing new humanitarian crisis In Syria has taken a turn for the worse.

Angelita Caredda, the Norwegian Refugee Council’s (NRC) Middle East and North Africa Regional Director, said: “The recent escalation in Syria threatens to drag the country back into the darkest days of this near 14-year conflict”.

“Civilian casualties are rising because of shelling and airstrikes, and thousands of families have been displaced. We call on all parties to adhere to international law in their conduct of hostilities”.

“The humanitarian situation has significantly deteriorated in recent days. In Aleppo, NRC teams report food shortages as bakeries and shops shut down. Damage to water networks has also reduced domestic water supplies.

With almost 17 million people already in need of humanitarian aid and thousands recently displaced from Lebanon, Syrians have had to grapple with desperate economic conditions. An open conflict would further erode their ability to provide for their families.”

“The needs are immense; people who arrive at the shelters tell us they had left home fearing for their lives and brought nothing to shield them from the winter cold. NRC is providing limited critical services for people displaced by the recent events and stands ready to scale up our response. We call for guarantees to ensure the safety of our aid colleagues and the people we serve. Funding for humanitarian aid must be urgently pledged by donors.

The latest violent events must not be allowed to descend into another deadly chapter in this decade of suffering. Syrians have endured years of displacement, pain and loss, and they long for peace and for a better, safer future for their children.”

According to the NRC: Thousands have fled their homes over the past few days, with over 6,000 families arriving in Damascus (OCHA); at least 16.7 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in Syria (HRP); and over 3,000 Lebanese people crossed into Syria since the ceasefire in Lebanon