Another Trump casualty: UN forced to cut support for Ukrainians fleeing frontline violence over fund crunch | World News
The United Nations’ refugee agency has had to reduce its help for those newly displaced the war in Ukraine due to a major drop in funding, especially from the Donald Trump-led United States adminration, according to Reuters.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Friday that heavy fighting near the frontlines has forced thousands of people to flee their homes, but cuts in international aid have made it harder to support them. The agency pointed to the halt in US assance and reduced donations from other Western countries as key reasons for the funding gap.
“Some of the programmes that we previously used to implement with the generous support of US funding are on hold,” said Karolina Lindholm Billing, UNHCR’s representative in Ukraine, during a video briefing, as quoted Reuters.
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These halted programmes include essential services such as psycho-social support, emergency shelter materials, and cash aid for those in need.
Last year, the US provided 40 per cent of UNHCR’s funding, making the loss especially damaging. Western donors are also cutting back as they increase spending on defence, leaving the agency’s $3.32 billion appeal for Ukraine only 25 per cent funded so far.
“We had to reduce the number of people we are prioritising,” Billing added, calling on donors to urgently step up support, according to Reuters.
Since January, nearly 9,000 people fleeing intense shelling have gone through UNHCR’s centres in Pavlohrad and Sumy. There, they receive clothing, hygiene kits, legal help, and psychological care. “They have arrived with little or no belongings and deeply traumatised,” Billing said.Story continues below this ad
More than 200,000 people have been forced to leave frontline areas since August, UNHCR added. The situation has worsened in recent days, with increased attacks in the Kyiv region and the cities of Kharkiv and Pavlohrad. This comes as US President Donald Trump pushes for a fast peace deal in the ongoing war.
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