New York: The United Nations human rights office has warned that it is operating in survival mode after facing one of the worst funding shortages in its history. A major drop in donor contributions has left the office with a shortfall of about 90 million dollars this year, forcing it to cut around 300 jobs and reduce its work in several crisis-hit countries.
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, which monitors abuses and supports vulnerable communities, said the cuts are already affecting operations in places such as Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar and Tunisia. Many planned missions, investigations and country visits have been scaled back or cancelled.
UN experts who normally travel as independent monitors have also been forced to limit their work. The number of formal reviews that check whether countries are meeting their human rights commitments has fallen sharply from 145 to 103 this year due to budget restrictions.
The High Commissioner warned that these reductions will have serious ripple effects at a time when global conflicts, displacement and rights violations are increasing. He said the world needs stronger human rights oversight, not a weakened system struggling to operate.
This crisis is part of a wider funding squeeze across the United Nations. Earlier this year, the human rights office had already signaled a 60 million dollar gap, and other UN agencies have also reported deep cuts. The UN refugee agency and UNICEF have both reduced staff and programs due to declining support from traditional donors. Global humanitarian appeals for 2026 have already been reduced despite growing needs.
Many analysts say donor fatigue, economic pressures and shifting political priorities in major countries are contributing to the crisis. If the funding situation does not improve soon, officials fear that global human rights monitoring and protection could be severely weakened at a time when millions of people rely on these mechanisms for accountability and support.