UN Warns Funding Shortfalls Threaten Aid Efforts in Nigeria, Burundi, and Colombia

GENEVA— The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) have warned that major funding shortages are severely disrupting humanitarian assistance in Nigeria, Burundi, and Colombia.

In a statement issued on Saturday, UNHCR said the funding gaps are forcing aid agencies to scale back critical services, including health care and nutrition support. Some organisations have been compelled to lay off staff and reduce the scope of services such as primary health care and the treatment of severe acute malnutrition.

In Nigeria, nearly 70 percent of health services and 50 percent of nutrition services have been impacted in the northeastern states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe. With the lean season approaching, OCHA stressed the urgent need for additional international funding to address rising food insecurity.

“At the start of the year, we and our partners appealed for $910 million to reach 3.6 million people in Nigeria with critical aid and protection. However, given the brutal funding cuts, OCHA has been forced to reprioritise its response, focusing on the most life-saving interventions for the most vulnerable people,” said Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General.

“To do this, we need $298 million. Yet to date, we’ve received just over $70 million — less than a quarter of what’s needed,” he added.

In Burundi, UNHCR reported that severe funding shortfalls have critically limited the provision of protection services. The agency is no longer able to distribute dignity kits, leaving nearly 11,000 women and girls without access to basic hygiene items. UNHCR said it urgently requires $76.5 million to sustain its operations in the country.

In Colombia, refugees are also facing the consequences of reduced funding. UNHCR said that essential distributions, including mattresses, blankets, hygiene kits, solar lamps, and mosquito nets, have been suspended, particularly in the conflict-affected Catatumbo region near the border with Venezuela. The agency said it needs $118.3 million to continue its humanitarian activities this year.

Both UNHCR and OCHA called on the international community to step up support to avoid deepening humanitarian crises in the affected regions