Doing Less with Less: The Human Cost of Funding Cuts for Refugee Support

07/05/2025

Aslak Gimse Solumsmoen (UNHCR), Mogens Kirkeby (ISCA)

As we move through 2025, the global situation for forcibly displaced people remains dire. The number of forcibly displaced persons—those forced to flee their homes—has surpassed 120 million, and, unfortunately, their prospects for better living conditions have worsened.

Over the past decade, ISCA has worked with civil society organisations, as well as public and private entities, using sport and recreational physical activities to improve the social, mental, and physical wellbeing of refugees and forcibly displaced persons. Many of these entities have dedicated their human and financial resources to providing the basic human right to move and do sport to people in difficult life situations. These organisations are deeply committed to volunteering and are strongly motivated to make a difference in other people’s lives. They often operate with limited financial resources and depend heavily on voluntary contributions to carry out their work.

However, severe cuts in global funding announced this year have caused upheaval across the humanitarian sector and are putting millions of lives at risk. The reduction in funding from traditional humanitarian donors has placed immense strain on many organisations working to improve the lives of refugees and displaced populations, including public agencies, private partners, and civil society groups alike.

For many civil society organisations working to provide refugees and forcibly displaced people with better lives through sport and physical activity, this means they will not be able to deliver what they planned and promised. Some organisations will not be able to operate at all – some may even cease to exist. These organisations are striving to mitigate the effects on the communities they serve, but the severe and uncertain financial environment makes it impossible to operate as they once did.

Across the entire humanitarian aid system, deep funding cuts are removing critical support for the world’s most vulnerable refugees, increasing risks of abuse, poverty, being forced to return home to danger, or the prospect of new perilous journeys. Over 17.4 million refugee children are at heightened risk of violence, abuse, exploitation, trafficking, or separation from their families, while an estimated 12.8 million displaced people may be left without health support. [1]

"I don’t want to hear any more people telling me to ‘do more with less.’ This is absurd. You will do less, with less. We will try to do it in the best possible way, the most rational way, maximising efficiencies – becoming even more efficient. But it’s going to have an impact on millions of people – who will receive less food, less cash, less water and will benefit less from a protecting presence, as UNHCR has in many places," said Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees. [2]

This is a call to action: We must step up and step in. Now is the time to support humanitarian and civil society organisations so they can continue to fulfil their promises and provide hope, health, and dignity to refugees and displaced people around the world.

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[1] Abstracted from two briefings by UNHCR: Funding crunch increases risks of violence, danger and death for refugees| UNHCR
Funding cuts threaten the health of nearly 13 million displaced people | UNHCR

[2] Quoted from a public statement by Filippo Grandi (UNHCR) in UNHCR fundings & other topics – Security Council Media Stakeout | UN Web TV.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.