The
war in Ukraine has propelled millions of people to flee, and
there are now more than 100 million people forcibly displaced in
the world, causing UNHCR's budget to balloon to over $10
billion.
"I regret to inform you that for the first time during my
tenure, I'm worried about UNHCR's financial situation," U.N.
High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said in a speech
to member states in Geneva after being re-appointed as head of
the agency last month.
"If we do not receive at least an additional $700 million,
especially for our most under-funded operations, between now and
the end of this year, we will be forced to make severe cuts with
negative and sometimes dramatic consequences for refugees and
host communities," he added.
He also said he was worried about the impact of cold weather
during the the northern hemisphere's winter on some 6.2 million
people internally displaced in Ukraine.
"I share the government's concerns about the looming winter," he
said, saying the elderly and disabled were especially
vulnerable.
(Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Maria Sheahan and Nick
Macfie)
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