The UN Refugee Agency to Cut at Least 3,500 Jobs Worldwide Amidst Deep Funding Crisis
Geneva, Switzerland – October 6, 2025
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has announced sweeping job cuts across its global operations, with approximately 3,500 permanent staff positions set to be discontinued due to severe funding shortages.
The decision marks one of the largest structural reductions in the agency’s history as it struggles to sustain operations amid record levels of global displacement.
The agency confirmed that hundreds of temporary staff will also be affected as part of a broader effort to reduce staff costs by about 30 percent. Nearly half of the senior positions at UNHCR’s Geneva headquarters and regional bureaux are expected to be eliminated, while several country offices will either be downsized or closed entirely.
The is said to comes as donor contributions continue to decline, leaving the agency’s funding levels comparable to those of a decade ago despite an unprecedented rise in humanitarian needs.
UNHCR has warned that the cuts will inevitably affect its ability to deliver essential services, including cash assistance, healthcare, education, and water and sanitation programmes for refugees and internally displaced persons.
In many countries, those reductions have already begun to disrupt ongoing operations. The agency noted that it was forced to prioritize “activities that have the greatest impact for refugees,” even as the global displaced population has now surpassed 120 million.
High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi expressed regret over the decision but emphasized that the restructuring is necessary to preserve the agency’s core mission in the face of financial constraints. “We are steadfast in our commitment to protect and assist refugees, but we must adapt to the resources we have,” he said.
Observers warn that the job losses could have a ripple effect across the humanitarian sector, particularly in crisis zones where UNHCR plays a central coordinating role. The move highlights the growing disconnect between the scale of global humanitarian needs and the willingness of international donors to sustain long-term funding commitments.
As the UN refugee agency enters this difficult adjustment period, questions remain about how it will continue to fulfill its mandate with significantly reduced capacity at a time when displacement crises from the Sahel to Gaza and Ukraine continue to expand.
