UNHCR cuts 5,000 jobs since January amid funding crisis

• UNHCR has cut nearly 5,000 jobs this year, over a quarter of its workforce.

• The cuts come amid severe reductions in international aid funding.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has shed nearly 5,000 jobs since the start of the year, a figure representing more than a quarter of its entire workforce, amid what its chief called dramatic cuts to international aid funding. 

Filippo Grandi, the Commissioner of the UNCHR, announced on Monday at the opening of the agency's annual executive committee meeting in Geneva.

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"Almost 5,000 UNHCR colleagues have already lost their jobs this year," Grandi stated, stressing that "this is more than a quarter of our entire workforce."

The massive reduction in personnel highlights the severe financial pressure facing the international aid sector, forcing the leading global refugee organization to drastically scale back operations as it grapples with dwindling resources. 

UNHCR plays a critical role in protecting and supporting refugees, internally displaced persons, and stateless populations worldwide, providing life-saving assistance, advocating for their rights, and coordinating international responses to many crises.