Geneva, Switzerland – November 11, 2025 – Millions of refugees and displaced persons around the world are facing a perilous winter with significantly reduced humanitarian support, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) warned on Tuesday.

According to UNHCR spokesperson Dominique Hyde, drastic cuts in international aid from countries including Germany, the United States, and others have stretched humanitarian budgets to breaking point. This winter, refugees may struggle to access essentials such as shelter, insulation, heating, blankets, warm clothing, and medicine.

Urgent Appeal for Private Donations

In response to shrinking government support, UNHCR has launched a global fundraising campaign seeking at least $35 million from private donors. The funds aim to provide:

• Repair and insulation for bombed or damaged homes
• Winter clothing and blankets for children and families
• Hot meals and cash for medicine and essential supplies
• Traditional stoves for refugee families in Afghanistan and winter-proofing of shelters in Lebanon

For example, the agency noted that a winter coat for a refugee child in Moldova costs $95, while $30 can provide a family in Afghanistan with a stove, and $120 can make a Lebanese shelter winter-ready.

Key Regions at Risk

Ukraine

• Over 12 million people require assistance.
• Harsh winter temperatures often drop below -20°C, exacerbating humanitarian needs.
• UNHCR is supporting nearly 400,000 individuals with cash payments, heaters, generators, and energy storage devices.
• Ongoing Russian attacks on energy infrastructure have severely disrupted electricity, gas, and water supplies, leaving civilians in frontline areas particularly vulnerable.

Afghanistan

• More than 2 million Afghans have returned home from Pakistan and Iran, many arriving empty-handed with limited prospects for survival.
• Families require urgent winter support, including stoves, clothing, and shelter repairs.

Syria

• Syrians returning after the fall of the al-Assad government in December 2024 face partially destroyed homes and lack of basic winter provisions.

UNHCR’s Warning

Hyde emphasized the severity of the situation:
“Families will have to endure freezing temperatures without things many of us take for granted: a proper roof, insulation, heating, blankets, warm clothes, or medicine.”

The UN agency stressed that without additional funding and international support, vulnerable populations will be exposed to life-threatening cold conditions, compounding the humanitarian crisis in conflict and post-conflict regions.