UNHCR warned on Sept. 29 that a deepening funding crisis could deprive nearly 8.3 million refugees and forcibly displaced people of assistance this year and push protection systems in some countries toward collapse. The agency faces a $5.789 billion funding gap after the money available to it fell 24% between 2024 and 2025. By July, UNHCR had received 32% of the $8.505 billion it required in 2026, even as the number of forcibly displaced and stateless people remained near record levels. UNHCR expects the population under its mandate to reach 131.2 million by year-end, compared with 129.4 million at the end of last year. Budget reductions are affecting refugee registration, child protection and services for survivors of gender-based violence. The agency cited registration delays and reduced support in Chad, Sudan and Afghanistan, and said further savings could not offset the shortfall after workforce reductions, office closures and discontinued country operations. It also said tightly earmarked donor funding rose to 51% in 2026 from 19% five years earlier, limiting its ability to redirect resources to urgent needs.