The health of nearly 13 million forcibly displaced people, including over six million children, is at serious risk in 2025 due to critical funding shortages, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) warned on Friday. The agency said that without immediate and sustained financial support, life-saving medical services may no longer be available to millions in refugee and host communities. Speaking at a press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, UNHCR’s Chief of Public Health, Dr. Allen Maina, outlined the growing strain on humanitarian health programs.
He emphasized that the global humanitarian funding crisis, worsened by reduced public health expenditure in countries hosting refugees, is threatening access to essential healthcare and nutrition services. Dr. Maina stated that cuts are already compromising the quality and reach of public health programs. “When support for refugee health care is cut, refugees will be forced to pay from their own pockets but they do not have the funds and will face challenges accessing already strained public services,” he said. These challenges, he added, are likely to overwhelm local clinics and hospitals.
The UNHCR estimates that 12.8 million people among them 6.3 million children could be affected by the reduction in health funding. Consequences include an increased risk of disease outbreaks, untreated chronic conditions, rising malnutrition rates, and worsening mental health conditions in displaced populations. Dr. Maina also warned that infrastructure essential to disease prevention, including water supply systems, sanitation facilities, and waste management, is being impacted by the funding gap. This could lead to outbreaks of infectious diseases such as cholera, dysentery, hepatitis, and malaria, posing grave risks to public health.
He further noted that these cuts could undo years of progress in addressing HIV in humanitarian contexts, where treatment continuity and prevention efforts are especially fragile. The UNHCR is appealing to the international community for renewed commitments to support refugee health programs in 2025. The agency highlighted that sustained investment is vital not only for displaced populations but also for the stability and resilience of host communities already under pressure. As global displacement reaches unprecedented levels, the agency reiterated its call for urgent action to ensure that health services remain accessible and responsive, warning that without timely support, millions may face preventable illness and death. – By MENA Newswire News Desk.