UNHCR’s Salih calls for global shift from managing to resolving displacement

GENEVA – The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Barham Salih, today urged Member States to pursue a decisive shift in the global response to displacement, calling for a measurable reduction in long-term aid dependency and a renewed commitment to international protection, solutions, responsibility-sharing and peace efforts.

Salih made the comments in his first briefing to Member States since assuming office at the start of the year, setting out an ambitious direction for UNHCR, including a comprehensive reform agenda to strengthen effectiveness.

“Humanitarian assistance saves lives and must continue wherever needs arise,” he said. “But when emergency tools become the long-term default, and entire generations remain trapped in dependency, we are not building sustainability. We must measure success by whether people can rebuild their lives.”

Salih stressed that providing international protection remains vital. “The responsibility to uphold the 1951 Refugee Convention is as important as ever,” he said, noting that 2026 marks the 75th anniversary of the milestone accord.

Nearly 117 million people are now forcibly displaced, including 42.5 million refugees, with the vast majority living in a limbo lasting years or decades without a meaningful prospect of a solution or the chance to rebuild. They may be safe from immediate violence, but they are excluded from national systems and often forced into long-term dependence on aid – and this should not be seen as inevitable.

Salih laid out a strategic objective of reducing substantially the number of refugees in protracted displacement dependent on humanitarian assistance over the next decade. This, he said, requires:

• advancing voluntary repatriation, local integration, and resettlement;
• linking humanitarian action with development and peace efforts;
• expanding opportunities for self-reliance; and
• strengthening inclusion in national systems.

Salih began his tenure by visiting a number of displacement settings, witnessing the promise of inclusion-centred policies as well as the acute needs of emergency contexts. In Kenya, he saw the benefits of enabling refugees to work, study and integrate. Visiting Chad, where refugees continue fleeing Sudan’s conflict, revealed “the scale of need and the limits of available resources.” His visits to Türkiye and Jordan focused on Syrian refugees and the conditions necessary for a safe and voluntary return.

These situations, he added, show UNHCR’s dual responsibility: “to save lives today, and to prevent lives from becoming trapped in indefinite displacement tomorrow.”

The High Commissioner also announced an independent management review to strengthen UNHCR’s efficiency, accountability and financial transparency following a period of fiscal contraction, in line with the UN80 and humanitarian reset initiatives. He pledged clearer prioritization, outcome-based benchmarks and enhanced real-time budget monitoring to demonstrate value for money.

“This is not about reducing ambition,” he said. “It is about aligning ambition with resources so that the people we serve do not pay the price for inefficiency.” UNHCR is seeking $8.5 billion for its 2026 operations, with $1.574 billion already recorded.

Salih thanked donors for their support in 2025 but noted an increase in “earmarking” of funds – tying their use to certain situations or themes – and the need for more predictable, flexible funding. He also announced a stronger push to diversify financing, which will be supported by the upcoming creation of a Global CEO Council.

Salih pledged a practical partnership with Member States: “If we stabilize the organization, anchor reform in protection, and focus the international effort on durable solutions, we can deliver more effectively for refugees, host communities, and States alike.”

For more information, please contact:

• In Geneva: Matthew Saltmarsh, [email protected], +41 79 967 99 36