The funding cuts have severe repercussions for vulnerable migrant communities, exacerbating humanitarian crises and undermining essential support systems for displaced populations, the UN agency said in a statement on Tuesday.

The adjustments involve “scaling back or ending projects affecting over 6,000 staff members worldwide” and implementing a structural realignment at headquarters, reducing staffing by approximately 20 per cent – or more than 250 staff.

Necessary measures

“These measures are necessary to ensure that IOM can continue delivering lifesaving humanitarian assistance to migrants and vulnerable communities worldwide,” the statement continued.

“We aim to drive solutions for displaced populations and support governments in managing migration for the benefit of societies and migrants.”

IOM operates under a project-based funding model, established by its Member States, which allows for flexibility and responsiveness to global humanitarian needs.

However, when funding for specific projects ends the impacts can be far-reaching, particularly for vulnerable communities with limited support options.

The Organisation’s priority remains serving vulnerable populations despite the constrained funding environment, the statement stressed.

Affordability first

To achieve this, IOM is moving positions to lower-cost regional offices and country missions, streamlining staffing, and identifying opportunities to better coordinate with other humanitarians.

These decisions have been communicated to Member States and are built on the historic budget reform efforts passed by the IOM Council in 2022, IOM spelled out.

“These changes will save costs and enable us to extend greater support globally, providing essential humanitarian assistance in crises worldwide,” the statement said.

The necessary adaptations will also enable IOM to develop new funding, maintain essential oversight and accountability, and streamline operations.

Throughout this process, IOM has prioritised mitigating risks to both staff and operations by ensuring that reductions are applied strategically and in consultation with affected teams, while frontline assistance remains protected.

Staff dedication deeply valued

“We recognise the impact these decisions will have on colleagues who have dedicated years to IOM’s mission,” the statement underlined.

“We deeply value the dedication and service of our staff, past and present, who have worked tirelessly to support migrants and displaced communities worldwide.”

At a time when conflict, climate-induced disasters, and economic instability are driving record levels of displacement, migration is central to global security, stability, and sustainable development.

IOM called on the international community not to sideline migration governance. The agency said it remains committed to its core mission and ensuring that migration and displacement remain central to the global policy debate. 

In a video message to the conference Standing with Syria: Meeting the Needs for a Successful Transition, organized by the European Union in Brussels, he underlined the gravity of the situation.

“This is a watershed moment,” said the UN chief, stressing that the future of Syria depends on ensuring access to food, shelter, healthcare and sustainable livelihoods.

Over two-thirds of the population requires humanitarian assistance. However, critical aid efforts are in jeopardy due to severe underfunding.

The $1.25 billion UN-coordinated humanitarian response for the country is only 12.5 percent funded, with vital sectors such as shelter, non-food relief, water and sanitation, and agriculture and nutrition suffering from lack of resources.

Reconsider funding cuts

Mr. Guterres underscored the need for support from the international community.

Donors must urgently expand humanitarian support and reconsider funding cuts, he said. They must also invest in Syria’s recovery – including addressing sanctions and other restrictions – alongside helping an orderly and inclusive political transition.

“Let us work together to help the people of Syria as they take these momentous next steps in their journey towards a free, prosperous and peaceful future,” he added.

Commentary aside

UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher reinforced the Secretary-General’s call for action, warning that humanitarian operations face a severe funding gap.

“The people of Syria do not need us to be commentators and problem observers – they need us to move with urgency,” he said.

Despite these challenges, the UN has expanded its reach, delivering aid to millions, including areas previously inaccessible due to conflict.

More humanitarian convoys have entered Syria from Türkiye this year than in all of 2024, and assistance is now reaching former frontline areas in rural Idlib, Latakia and Aleppo. However, ongoing funding cuts threaten these gains, with essential services at risk of collapse.

“After so long waiting for hope, the people of Syria…expect us to meet this moment with decisive action, with generosity and with solidarity. The price of failure will be much greater for all of us than the cost of success,” he warned.

Refugees returning, but to what?

Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, highlighted a significant shift – the return of Syrian refugees.

Since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, more than one million displaced Syrians have returned home, including 350,000 from neighbouring countries. Surveys suggest that up to 3.5 million more could return in the coming months.

However, Mr. Grandi cautioned that without adequate support, these returns may not be sustainable.

“If we fail to help them stay in Syria, make no mistake: the impact will be disastrous,” he said, warning that refugees unable to rebuild their lives may be forced to leave again.

In Damascus, UNFPA Director Arakaki listens to women affected by conflict in Syria talk about their situations and the support they need.

Healthcare, protection for women at risk

Meanwhile within Syria, the humanitarian crisis remains acute, especially for women and girls.

Having concluded a mission to the country, Shoko Arakaki, Humanitarian Director at the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) highlighted the devastating impact of war on Syria’s healthcare system, with four in ten hospitals damaged or destroyed.

Lack of resources have further complicated the situation and recent funding cuts have forced the closure of over 100 UN-supported health facilities in northwest Syria.

She warned that gender-based violence has become “normalised” after years of conflict, but financial constraints may force UNFPA to withdraw support for protection efforts such as safe spaces for women.

“Women and youth in Syria still need our support,” she stressed, urging donors to invest in healthcare, protection, livelihoods and education.

Hope amid the apprehension

“These are deeply uncertain times for Syria,” she said, adding that in the midst of apprehension, she sensed a feeling of hope.

She noted her meetings with “extraordinary women” providing lifesaving reproductive health services, protecting survivors of violence, offering vocational training – even while they themselves are vulnerable.

“[I felt] hope in the Syrian people who are defying the odds to help each other, despite immense hardship,” she added.

In a statement released to correspondents in New York, the UN denounced the Houthis’ targeting of merchant and commercial vessels in the key waterway which includes the Suez Canal and reported attacks against military vessels.

The UN is concerned about the continued threats by the Houthis to resume their attacks targeting merchant and commercial vessels in the Red Sea, as well as about their reported attacks against military vessels in the area, calling for “full freedom of navigation.”

US strikes

“We reiterate our concern at the launching of multiple strikes on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen by the United States in recent days,” the statement continued.

“According to the Houthis, the airstrikes over the weekend resulted in 53 deaths and 101 injuries, reported from Sana’a City, Sa’ada and Al Baydah governorates, including reports of civilian casualties, and led to disruptions in the power supply in nearby localities.”

The Houthis who control large swathes of Yemen including the capital, began targeting Israeli-linked shipping in the waterway out of solidarity with Hamas and the Palestinian people, following the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023. Last week they said attacks would resume due to the continuing aid blockade of the enclave.

The UN called for restraint on all sides and an end to “all military activities”

“Any additional escalation could exacerbate regional tensions, fuel cycles of retaliation that may further destabilize Yemen and the region and pose grave risks to the already dire humanitarian situation in the country,” the statement continued.

It emphasised that international law must be respected by all parties, including Security Council resolution 2768 (2025) related to Houthi attacks against merchant and commercial vessels.

Top envoy urges restraint

UN Special Envoy, Hans Grundberg, has been in close contact with Yemeni, regional and international stakeholders in recent days.

“He has called for utmost restraint and adherence to international humanitarian law, and he has pushed for a refocus on diplomacy to avoid uncontrollable destabilization in Yemen and in the region. Further contacts are held by his office on numerous levels,” said UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq.

Mr. Grundberg called for support from the international community so that UN-led mediation efforts can “deliver results”.

Gaza: Israeli blockade continues to hamper relief efforts

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Monday that nearly all the 2.4 million children in the occupied Palestinian territory have been affected by the ongoing conflict and violence.

UNICEF Middle East and North Africa Regional Director Edouard Beigbeder expressed deep concern at the situation in Gaza at the end of a four-day assessment mission.

He said that roughly one million children now live without the very basics they need to survive because of the Israeli aid blockade.

This includes more than 180,000 doses of essential childhood routine vaccines, enough to fully vaccinate and protect 60,000 children under two, as well as 20 lifesaving ventilators for neonatal intensive care units.

It has now been more than two weeks since Israeli authorities closed all crossings into Gaza.

Olga Cherevko from UN aid coordination office, OCHA, reminded that when the ceasefire began “we were able to deliver life-saving support to hundreds of thousands of families.”

They also “delivered hope” – but that is now turning into fear and concern: “Time is not on our side. It is imperative that the flow of supply is restored. Aid must be allowed to enter.”

Prices surging

The World Food Programme (WFP) reported that aid crossing closures have led to a surge in prices. This month, the cost of cooking gas soared by up to 200 per cent compared to February and is now only available on the black market.

Aid partners are also reporting a lack of cash. “Shop owners are unable to restock or pay their suppliers. The situation is particularly acute in North Gaza and Khan Younis,” said deputy UN spokesperson Farhan Haq.

“Despite the suspension of cargo entering Gaza, the UN and its partners continue to provide life-saving services for as many vulnerable people as possible.

More than 3,000 children have been screened by aid partners for malnutrition across Gaza in the past two weeks and only a small number of cases of acute malnutrition have been identified, Mr. Haq added.

But they warn that the situation could worsen if the halt on aid into Gaza continues.

UNICEF says large quantities of critical supplies are stalled just a few dozen kilometres outside the Strip, including 20 ventilators for neonatal intensive care units and more than 180,000 doses of essential childhood routine vaccines.

Interest payments outweigh climate investments in almost all developing countries

Finally, a warning from UN economists at UNCTAD that almost all developing countries pay more in interest on their debts than essential climate resilience investments.

UNCTAD chief Rebeca Grynspan said that today’s global financial architecture comes at a high cost to developing countries who suffer from chronic under-investment.

There is still no universal safety net to shield countries from external shocks, or any multilateral financial system to provide affordable long-term resources at scale, Ms. Grynspan continued.

UNCTAD data shows that 3.3 billion people live in countries that spend more on servicing their debt than on health or education.

In 2023, the average developing country spent 16 per cent of their export earnings to service their debt, which is more than three times the limit set for Germany’s post-war reconstruction, Ms. Grynspan explained at the start of the UN agency’s International Debt Management Conference seeking solutions for the management of public debt, transparency and good governance.