Global Appeal 2026
Global Appeal 2026
Sudanese refugees gather together, sheltering from the sun under trees and building makeshift shelters, at a temporary site in Koulbous, Chad, on the border with Sudan, after fleeing the conflict that erupted in Sudan in April 2023.
UNHCR’s Global Appeal 2026 describes UNHCR’s plans for 2026, including anticipated changes in the global population of forcibly displaced and stateless people, the budget required to meet their needs, and the actions UNHCR plans to take.
A full response to this Appeal would allow UNHCR to prepare in advance, anticipate challenges, and engage strategically on a systematic and multi-year basis when needed.
are needed in 2026 to protect and assist forcibly displaced and stateless people
in which UNHCR will be present and undertake action
are projected to be forcibly displaced or stateless in 2026
To be a refugee, an internally displaced or a stateless person is to be cast into a situation of uncertainty and vulnerability, through no fault of your own. It is to find yourself uprooted, seeking safety, legal recognition of your rights, and access to opportunity so you can rebuild your life, or perhaps secure your children’s future.
Mohamed & Abdelazim | Sudanese refugees in Egypt
Mohamed was too young to remember Sudan. Violence erupted soon after his birth, forcing his mother, Nour Haroun, to flee with him and his sister to Egypt. In Cairo, the family found safety but remained vulnerable. Nour relied on UNHCR’s cash assistance, and Mohamed, suffering from anaemia, received care at a partner clinic.
In March 2025, funding cuts forced UNHCR to suspend life-saving support for refugees in Egypt, leaving thousands without medical treatment or child protection services.
Abdelazim Mohamed, another Sudanese refugee, fled Khartoum with his wife. He suffers from cardiomyopathy and ischemic heart disease. UNHCR’s health partner once provided him with stent procedures and medication. Now, that support is gone.
“I fought so hard to survive,” he says. “But if I can’t afford my medicine, what happens to me? What happens to my wife?”
Their stories reveal the human cost of shrinking humanitarian budgets—where survival hangs in the balance for those who have already lost everything.
Global population planning figures
UNHCR sets its annual budget based on the projected number of forcibly displaced and stateless people for the upcoming year. The 2026 budget anticipates that there will be 136 million forcibly displaced and stateless people by the end of 2026. As of 31 October 2025, UNHCR was present in 128 countries and territories, providing protection and assistance and helping to bring about solutions.
Global funding needs
Based on the population planning figures, UNHCR has calculated a required budget of $8.505 billion for 2026. This budget is designed to enable UNHCR and its partners to provide life-saving protection, assistance and solutions in new and ongoing displacement situations. Of the total, $7.539 billion – or 89% – is planned for operations in the field, with $8.088 billion – 95% – allocated to programmed activities.
2025 budget needs
Syrian Arab Republic: UNHCR and its partner delivering core relief items in rural Lattakia, Dourin village.
© UNHCR/Emad Kabbas
Impact Areas
Forcibly displaced and stateless people have fundamental rights, including protection, a safe environment in which to live until they find a durable solution, and an opportunity to influence their own futures and build better lives. In UNHCR’s global results framework, the four Impact Areas aim to measure the extent to which forcibly displaced and stateless people enjoy these overarching rights, and to capture the changes over time.
Areas of Strategic Focus
In its Strategic Directions 2022-2026, UNHCR identified several priority Focus Areas requiring sustained attention and pledged to address them with discipline and unwavering commitment. This section highlights UNHCR’s strategic engagement across key areas, including climate action, internal displacement, statelessness, collaboration with development actors, accountability to affected populations, and advocacy for alternatives to dangerous journeys.
Kenya: Newly arrived refugee families in Kakuma are facing growing food shortages as funding cuts continue to strain assistance. Despite limited resources, many are finding ways to cope, but without additional support, the situation is likely to worsen.
© UNHCR/Eric Bakuli
Support from the private sector
Fondation de Luxembourg strengthens schools to help refugee children learn in Yemen and Pakistan
Massvoll Stiftung, hosted by the Fondation de Luxembourg, has been engaged in supporting the futures of refugee children in Yemen and Pakistan since 2021. This partnership is expanding access to quality primary education by upgrading school infrastructure, creating inclusive learning pathways for over-age learners and children with disabilities, and strengthening teacher training and community engagement. By the end of 2026, the initiative will directly support 7,000 children and 130 teachers, and improve learning environments by renovating more than 50 school units – including classrooms, libraries, and water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities.
Strengthening inclusion through education, livelihoods and policy reform across Africa
The Mastercard Foundation and UNHCR are joining forces to transform education, livelihoods, and inclusion for refugees and host communities across Africa. With a new $300 million investment, the partnership will expand opportunities in eight countries, aiming to reach over 500,000 young people with quality secondary education, support 10,000 learners in pursuing higher or technical studies, and help 200,000 people transition into dignified work – with a strong focus on women (70% of participants) and persons with disabilities (5%). Over the next 4.5 years, the initiative will also strengthen 100 local and refugee-led organizations, train teachers, and advocate policies that make education and employment more accessible and inclusive across the continent.
LIV Golf’s ongoing support to displaced and host communities across four continent
In 2024, UNHCR partnered with LIV Golf to use the power of sport to create safe spaces for refugee and host community children and youth across six countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. The partnership invests in multi-year sport and play-based activities, alongside essential support like education, job opportunities, and capacity building and collective learning activities where girls and young women are included. In its first year, the initiative has already helped improve well-being, social connections, and a sense of belonging for young people, while making sure they can still access vital services.
Employment and skills development for forcibly displaced people
Outsource Global, a leading pan-African Business Process Outsourcing company, is teaming up with UNHCR to create sustainable employment pathways for internally displaced people, refugees, and local community members in Nigeria. Through this collaboration, participants receive tailored pre-onboarding training to prepare them for diverse professional roles, such as in customer service, data management, accounting, legal support, HR, software development, and more. With Outsource Global’s growing footprint across Africa, including Nigeria and Kenya, these opportunities will also be available to refugees and host communities there. This initiative builds on Outsource Global’s commitment at the Africa Forum on Displacement 2025 to help 1,000 forcibly displaced people access direct, income-generating jobs across the continent.
From emergency aid to lasting resilience, IRUSA helps refugees rebuild their lives
Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA) is a strategic partner in UNHCR’s global efforts to support refugees and displaced communities. Together, they deliver urgent and long-term assistance to vulnerable families in countries like Afghanistan, Brazil, Colombia, Jordan, Mexico and Sudan. For example, in Brazil, IRUSA and UNHCR are working to help over 2,000 Afghan refugees overcome language barriers and access essential services, so they can rebuild their lives with dignity. Thanks to this partnership, thousands of families worldwide are receiving critical emergency aid and support for long-term resilience, livelihoods, and self-reliance.
Revolut’s continued support empowers refugees through global emergency response
Revolut, has been a key corporate partner to UNHCR since 2020, enabling fast and flexible responses to humanitarian emergencies. Through its global financial app, Revolut empowers customers to support refugees by rounding up spare change, making one-time gifts, or setting recurring donations. Over £2 million has been raised to date, with funds supporting urgent relief operations including in Ukraine, Türkiye, Libya and beyond. These contributions help provide shelter, protection, and emergency aid to families forced to flee. Revolut’s innovative giving platform and global reach play a vital role in strengthening UNHCR’s ability to respond to crises swiftly and effectively – making it easier for individuals around the world to stand with refugees when it matters most.
ANTA’s Moving for Change brings education and play to displaced youth
Through the “Moving for Change” initiative, UNHCR and ANTA Group are partnering to bring education and play to displaced children and youth. Over three years, ANTA is donating at least 1.2 million items of clothing and $1.5 million to support access to primary education, learning resources, and play-based programs that boost well-being and resilience. By 2025, the initiative aims to reach 300,000 displaced children across Kenya, Ethiopia, and Burundi. This collaboration directly supports Sustainable Development Goals for quality education and strong partnerships, and both UNHCR and ANTA Group plan to expand its impact even further in 2026 and beyond.
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The Global Appeal outlines UNHCR's programmatic plans for the year and the funding required to protect, assist and find solutions for the world's forcibly displaced and stateless people. Explore the data and narratives underlying the global picture.
Download the full Global Appeal