UNHCR Warns: Decline in Aid Threatens Millions of Refugees with a Harsh Winter

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) warned on Tuesday that millions of refugees and displaced people around the world are facing a bitterly cold winter amid declining humanitarian funding, pointing to a severe aid shortfall and urging immediate action to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.

Dominique Hyde, UNHCR’s representative, said that cuts in aid from major donor countries such as Germany and the United States have led to a significant reduction in winter assistance for vulnerable families, noting that “humanitarian budgets are reaching a breaking point.”

Hyde added that hundreds of thousands of families will face sub-zero temperatures without adequate heating or insulation, explaining that the agency is seeking to bridge the gap through a campaign to raise $35 million in private donations.

According to UNHCR data, the funds will be used to repair and insulate damaged homes, and to provide cash assistance, blankets, medicines, and hot meals. The agency noted that the cost of reinforcing a refugee family’s shelter in Lebanon is $120, while a heating stove for an Afghan family costs just $30.

The UNHCR also highlighted that Ukrainians are facing a fourth winter amid war, with frequent power outages and temperatures dropping below -20°C, while more than two million Afghan refugees forcibly returned from Pakistan and Iran struggle to meet their basic needs.

The agency explained that over 12 million people in Ukraine are in need of assistance, as Russian attacks on energy infrastructure worsen the humanitarian crisis. Meanwhile, returning Syrian refugees face similar conditions after the destruction of their homes.

The UNHCR warned that the continued decline in international funding risks unleashing a new wave of suffering affecting millions this winter, calling for urgent action to secure the necessary resources before the humanitarian crisis deepens.