The United Nations warned on Tuesday that millions of refugees and displaced persons face a harsh winter, with significantly reduced humanitarian aid available this year as the coldest months arrive in the Northern Hemisphere.
اضافة اعلان
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has experienced a decline in government funding and is attempting to raise at least $35 million in public donations to support Syrian, Afghan, and Ukrainian refugees during the winter season.
Dominique Hyde, UNHCR’s External Relations Officer, said in a statement:
"Families will have to endure subzero temperatures without things we consider a given: proper shelter, insulation, heating, blankets, warm clothing, and medicines."
Under former President Donald Trump, the United States — traditionally the largest international donor — reduced foreign aid. Washington had accounted for over 40% of UNHCR’s budget, and other major donor countries have also begun cutting spending.
Hyde added:
"Humanitarian aid budgets are at the brink of collapse, and our winter support will be much lower this year. We need more funding to help large numbers of people endure extreme conditions."
The UNHCR stressed the urgent need for private sector donors to intervene and help save lives. It plans to raise at least $35 million to repair bombed homes, insulate houses, provide warmth and blankets for children and the elderly, and purchase medicines and hot meals.
"Lack of Time and Resources"
The agency warned that returning refugees will also be affected. More than one million Syrian refugees have returned since December last year, following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, many finding their homes destroyed after 14 years of civil war.
UNHCR highlighted that the most vulnerable families face the cold with no protection, and funding cuts risk leaving 750,000 people without vital support during the winter season.
This year, over 2.2 million Afghans have returned from Pakistan and Iran, many of whom have nothing. Recent earthquakes have further worsened conditions for numerous families.
In Ukraine, temperatures could drop to -20°C, as the population faces winter for the fourth consecutive year of war following the Russian invasion in 2022. The UNHCR noted that rising attacks have destroyed infrastructure, causing increasing disruptions to gas, electricity, and water supplies.
Despite its efforts, UNHCR stressed that many refugees worldwide will have little protection against freezing temperatures. Hyde said:
"Our teams are on the ground, committed to protecting refugees from the cold, but we are struggling with lack of time and resources."
(AFP)
