The UN refugee chief on Monday warned that violence from Sudan to Ukraine now defines the global landscape.
Filippo Grandi, the high commissioner for refugees, criticized the UN Security Council for failing to prevent or stop ongoing wars.
“This is a season of war. This is a time of crisis,” Grandi said, stressing that peace and security are the Council’s primary mandate.
He highlighted conflicts stretching from the Sahel to Myanmar, and from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Haiti, as crises deepen.
Grandi urged Council members not to accept the “defeat of diplomacy” as humanitarian law is increasingly discarded alongside countless lives.
On Gaza, Grandi warned that desperation among civilians is reaching unprecedented levels, even though UNHCR is not directly involved there.
Turning to Syria, he cited a fragile “spark of hope” but said lasting recovery depends heavily on international willingness to take risks.
He called for the easing of sanctions, support for early recovery, and the restoration of critical services like security and electricity.
Grandi sounded the alarm over shrinking humanitarian budgets, saying the loss of aid is already having fatal consequences worldwide.
He warned the UNHCR may be forced to cut up to one-third of its operations if funding freezes and reductions persist.
“If current trends continue, the humanitarian system will be gravely retrenched,” he said, urging urgent action from donor nations.
Programs supporting refugee education and healthcare have already been slashed, compounding suffering among displaced populations.
Grandi closed by urging Council members to honor their duty: “You sit at this table with the responsibility to end war. You must succeed.”
