The UN is panicly cutting humanitarian aid to internally displaced persons in Ukraine due to the cessation of funding from the United States of America
In a sudden and crisis moment for Ukrainian internally displaced persons and international humanitarian organizations, the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) announced a significant reduction in its assistance program for newly arrived Ukrainian refugees. The main reason for this was the withdrawal of the primary donor—The United States—from previous levels of funding, which severely worsens the situation with the provision of necessary resources to the most vulnerable groups of the population fleeing war, destruction, and humanitarian crises. According to a UNHCR press release dated Friday, April 25, it is quite evident: the decrease in American funding has led to most large-scale support programs for Ukrainian displaced persons—specifically regarding psychological assistance, provision of shelter materials, emergency construction of temporary housing, and cash aid—being shut down or significantly limited. This marks yet another blow to the efforts of humanitarian organizations in the country, where the number of forced internally displaced persons has long since exceeded one million. A key factor in this negative trend is the U.S. decision to stop funding the agency's programs, which previously accounted for nearly half of their budget. According to Caroline Lindholm Billing, UNHCR representative in Ukraine, this situation threatens the uninterrupted implementation of many vital humanitarian projects. "Some programs we funded with U.S. support are being suspended, and we are forced to radically reconsider our priorities," she emphasized. In the context of reduced aid volumes to affected Ukrainians, the most affected areas are psychological support programs and the provision of materials for quick temporary housing. Funding for cash assistance has also decreased, jeopardizing the continued stable support for hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians who remain without homes. According to the agency's official statement, other Western donors have also acted similarly by reducing their funding, now mainly focusing on defense due to geopolitical pressure and shifting resources amid the global security crisis. This means that the planned $3.32 billion support program for 8.2 million Ukrainians is receiving only a third of the allocated funds—just 25%. Caroline Lindholm Billing stressed that due to the financial shortages, the organization has been forced to "narrow down" the number of aid recipients in order to reduce the number of people prioritized for resources. She called on international donors to return to funding commitments, emphasizing that it is now more than ever critical to preserve humanitarian programs and prevent a catastrophic situation that could lead to an even larger number of internally displaced persons. According to the agency's data, since January this year, over 7,700 Ukrainians fleeing war and destruction have passed through transit centers in Pavlohrad and Sumy. Just last month, more than 4,200 evacuated persons arrived at transit points, where humanitarian services, including UNHCR, provide them with essential support. This is only part of the real picture—overall, from summer 2024 until early 2025, over 200,000 Ukrainian citizens are expected to leave their homes due to the armed conflict. The overall situation raises concerns among analysts and humanitarian watchdog organizations. They warn that without adequate funding, programs supporting displaced persons and internally displaced persons will face collapse, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis and potentially resulting in even larger numbers of people in difficult living conditions. This underscores the urgent need to stabilize and restore humanitarian funding, because right now, human lives, their future, and their well-being depend on the international community's capacity to help overcome the challenges emerging during this extremely difficult time for Ukraine.