UN Human Rights Office in 'Survival Mode' After $90M Funding Shortfall

Volker Türk, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, warned that his office is operating in "survival mode" after major funding cuts from donor governments have left the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) about $90 million short this year.

Türk told reporters the shortfall has already forced the elimination of roughly 300 positions and has reduced the office's capacity to monitor human rights abuses, conduct fact-finding missions and support grassroots organisations around the world.

“Our resources have been slashed, along with funding for human rights organisations, including at the grassroots level, around the world. We are in survival mode,” Türk said.

Several European donors — including the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Sweden — have scaled back contributions as they prioritise defence and domestic spending. The United States has also reduced support; the administration of President Donald Trump had questioned the UN's role, withdrawn from some UN agencies and backed congressional measures that cut funding to international organisations.

Wider Humanitarian Impact

Türk's warning comes as the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) launches a $23 billion appeal for 2026 while facing funding constraints of its own. OCHA warns a sharp fall in donor support will leave tens of millions of people without critical assistance.

The largest portion of OCHA's appeal — about $4 billion — is for the occupied Palestinian territory, primarily Gaza, where UN officials say Israel's war has displaced nearly all of the territory's 2.3 million residents and left them dependent on aid. UN officials stress that the $4 billion request falls short of actual needs on the ground.

Other major funding requests include:

• $2 billion for people displaced inside Sudan
• $1 billion for Sudanese refugees who fled the conflict
• $1.4 billion for communities affected by violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• More than $2 billion for emergency support inside Syria and nearly $3 billion for Syrian refugees

Reduced Monitoring And Oversight

To cope with the budget squeeze, OHCHR has limited country visits by independent experts, scaled back fact-finding missions and postponed reviews of states' compliance with UN human rights treaties. Treaty reviews have fallen to 103 this year from 145 previously — a decline Türk said will have "extensive ripple effects" on both international and national efforts to protect human rights.

Türk urged donor governments to restore funding to prevent further erosion of the UN's ability to document abuses, support vulnerable communities and hold states accountable.