Amman, Oct. 12 (Petra) - UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih warned on Monday that a massive funding shortfall will force the agency to make "painful cuts" to its global humanitarian operations.

Salih told the UNHCR Executive Committee in Geneva that internal restructuring alone cannot offset the continuous decline in donor support, according to Reuters.

He revealed that the agency secured only $3 billion, just 35 percent of the $8.5 billion required to fund its global operations for 2026. The budget crunch has already forced the UNHCR to undertake one of the largest restructures in its history, shrinking its global workforce from 20,000 staff members in 2024 to fewer than 12,000 today.

Funding projections for the coming year remain precarious, according to Salih. While the agency currently anticipates receiving around $2.68 billion for 2027, he expressed hope that the outlook will improve following a major donor pledging conference scheduled for December.

However, Salih warned that without significant donor commitments, the agency's capacity to assist vulnerable refugee populations worldwide will be "severely compromised." //Petra// HA