The UN refugee agency is planning further reductions in its workforce and budget for 2027, highlighting the growing impact of cuts to foreign aid by the United States and other donor countries.
Budget documents show that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had 16,126 budgeted positions last year, compared with 12,051 this year and 8,540 planned for 2027. The figures exclude temporary positions and contractors.
UNHCR officials presented the proposed cuts to member states during a meeting in Geneva on Thursday, according to diplomats who attended the session.
However, a UNHCR spokesperson said the figures did not represent actual job losses, as many positions included in previous budgets had never been filled. He explained that the agency’s budgets reflected projected requirements and funding targets rather than the amount of money ultimately received.
The spokesperson said projected income for 2027 was expected to remain broadly comparable to this year’s level.
He said UNHCR had faced a major funding shortfall in 2025, forcing it to significantly reduce its workforce.
The agency also plans to reform policies that allow up to 1,000 employees to remain on its payroll during prolonged periods between assignments.
“The budget constraints are real,” the spokesperson said, adding that UNHCR was pursuing reforms to make the organisation more efficient, cost-effective and accountable.
The agency has been among the organisations most affected by reductions in international aid. It has already scaled back assistance to refugees, eliminated thousands of positions and closed an office in southern Africa. It is also preparing to move from its Geneva headquarters to a less expensive location to reduce costs.
Established after World War II to assist people displaced by conflict, persecution and violence, UNHCR relies heavily on voluntary contributions from donors. Much of its funding is earmarked for specific projects, a system that has increasingly come under criticism.
The latest reductions come as the Trump administration considers its future relationship with the agency. UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih has expressed hope that cooperation between Washington and UNHCR will continue.
US officials have also called on other countries to support efforts to reduce existing asylum protections.
The proposed UNHCR budget for 2027 stands at $7.14 billion, 16 per cent lower than last year and the agency’s smallest planned budget in a decade. Its budget for 2025 was $10.6bn.
The agency’s budget is largely considered aspirational because it is rarely fully funded.
The United States was UNHCR’s largest donor last year, contributing more than $800 million, nearly a quarter of the organisation’s total $3.6bn in contributions.
US funding has fallen sharply this year to around $110m, further intensifying pressure on the agency’s operations.
