Austria
Austria
As winter grips Syria, UNHCR is on the ground providing winter kits and cash assistance to help the most vulnerable stay safe and warm.
Austria is an important strategic partner and top donor to UNHCR around the world, helping to ensure protection and humanitarian assistance to refugees, internally displaced, returnees and stateless persons.
Source of income
The total contributions shown include contributions from the government and the private sector. Visit our donor ranking page to learn where Austria stands among other donors according to their contributions.
Austria's support for UNHCR
UNHCR and Austria share a long common history. Austria has been part of the UNHCR Advisory Committee since 1951 and has been a founding member of the UNHCR Executive Committee since its establishment in 1958. Moreover, in 1956, UNHCR and Austria joined hands for the first time to provide urgent assistance to people seeking asylum in Austria in the context of the Hungarian Revolution, collaborating closely to provide emergency relief, temporary shelter, and other assistance to refugees in need.
Today, the partnership has further strengthened, with Austria being home to over 280,000 refugees and around 26,000 asylum-seekers.
UNHCR and Austria are also key partners in the implementation of Austria’s Humanitarian Aid Strategy, focusing on joint priority areas, such as protection and assistance to forcibly displaced people, support to those in protracted humanitarian crises and those affected by climate disasters, as well as people with specific vulnerabilities and protection needs, including displaced women and girls, persons with disabilities, vulnerable elderly, among others. UNHCR and Austria also collaborate to assist refugee and IDP returnees, including support for their reintegration.
Austria generously contributed over USD 20 million to UNHCR’s response in 2025, including in:
- the Middle East and North Africa (Syria, Libya)
- Sub-Saharan Africa (Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda, Burkina Faso)
- Asia (Afghanistan situation)
- Europe (Ukraine and within Austria).
Austria’s support enabled UNHCR to provide urgent protection services to the most vulnerable, including survivors of gender-based violence, children and women at risk, and persons with disabilities, distribute core relief items and cash assistance to displaced persons in emergency situations, provide shelter assistance, as well as reintegration support to returnees. Austria’s contributions also helped UNHCR to work closely with local partners, including NGOs and authorities, and build their capacity.
Finally, Austria is supporting UNHCR with vital unearmarked funding, helping the Agency to respond quickly to new emergencies, support underfunded crises, and prepare for the unpredictable.
Austria country page
Visit the Austria country page for more statistics on refugees and asylum-seekers in the country.
Austria website
Visit the UNHCR Austria website for more information on our work in the area and the latest local news and stories.
Overview of support in 2024
The charts below present data on funding received from both private sector and government contributions.
Earmarking of funding from Austria
Top 5 emergencies receiving Austrian funding
Private donors in Austria
Private donors in Austria contributed $42,047 to UNHCR's operations and programmes in 2024.
- See more information about private donors in the dedicated section of the Global Report.
- To view a list of all private donors who contributed to UNHCR’s operations and programmes in 2024 with $1 million, download the Global financial information for the Global Report 2024.
Stories from the field
