International solidarity with refugees is breaking down due to massive budget cuts. In Niger, a Sahelian country hosting close to 400,000 refugees, American and European funding decisions are jeopardising previously made commitments, and are threatening the fragile balance between emergency aid and sustainable self-reliance.
The Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) was adopted in 2018 on the basis of a broad international consensus. The GCR embodies a shared ambition: to strengthen international solidarity and to improve the response to forced displacement through fairer sharing of responsibilities. The Compact has four key objectives: to ease the pressure on host countries, to enhance refugee self-reliance, to expand access to sustainable solutions, and to support conditions in countries of origin for returns. However, this ambitious vision is now coming up against a worrying reality: the structural funding crisis faced by the humanitarian sector.
Funding for refugee protection and assistance has dropped significantly over the past few years, exacerbated by the proliferation of protracted crises, shifting geopolitical priorities and funder fatigue. This trend, compounded by US (United States) budget cuts and the combined drop in development aid provided by European countries, is jeopardising the effective implementation of the GCR. This is particularly the case in the low-income countries that host approximately 73% of the global refugee population and offer asylum to over 23% of the world’s refugees.[1]UNHCR, Global Trends Report – Forced Displacement in 2024, 2024, https://www.unhcr.org/global-trends-report-2024
Niger facing the strain of hosting refugees
Niger is located at the crossroads of the Sahelian migration routes and currently hosts close to 400,000 refugees.[2]UNHCR Niger, Map Population of Concern, May 2025, https://data.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/116804 The country has been contending with complex and multiple humanitarian crises for over a decade, stemming from the actions of terrorist groups (Central Sahel, and Boko Haram in the Lake Chad Basin),[3]IOM, Niger Crisis Response Plan 2024, https://crisisresponse.iom.int/sites/g/files/tmzbdl1481/files/appeal/pdf/2024_Niger_Crisis_Response_Plan_2024.pdf extreme climate hazards and structural causes of underdevelopment.[4]The World Bank in Niger: Overview, March 2025, https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/niger/overview In this context, refugees and asylum seekers have multiple humanitarian needs with regards to protection, food security, and access to basic social services and housing.
Despite the uncertain international context, the government of Niger is maintaining its decision to guarantee refugees an environment conducive to protection and a search for sustainable solutions. Niger was, in fact, a co-convenor of the last Global Refugee Forum (GRF) in 2023, when he made three major commitments:[5]UNHCR Niger, Résumé des trois engagements du Niger au Forum mondial sur les réfugiés 2023, février 2024, … Continue reading
- To increase refugee access to inclusive, equitable, quality education in a safe, protective environment.
- To address the impacts of climate change by protecting the environment and improving access to sustainable sources of energy in refugee hosting areas.
- To provide protection and sustainable solutions for refugees the country based on legal, economic and social pillars with effects that are also positive for host communities.
While these pledges reflected the government’s keenness to uphold the GCR, the hope was that international solidarity would largely fund the commitments.
Domino effect – the impact of US funding cuts on refugees
The budget allocated to aid for refugees in Niger fell from USD 68.4 million to around USD 10.6 million between 2024 and 2025.[6]OCHA, Niger – Besoins humanitaires et plan de réponse, 2025, https://humanitarianaction.info/plan/1264 The cuts to US aid, which accounted for over half of the available resources, have firstly had a direct impact: The UN Refugee Agency in Niger has had to undertake restructuring measures leading to a reduced grassroots operational presence (cutting staff by roughly 40% and terminating or pausing 40% of its programmes).[7]UNHCR, On the brink: The devastating toll of aid cuts on people forced to flee, July 2025, https://www.unhcr.org/sites/default/files/2025-07/unhcr-on-the-brink-report-july-2025.pdf This has also set in motion a domino effect on the whole aid system, impacting both refugees and the host communities.[8]ACAPS, Global Analysis, US Funding Freeze & Terminations, February 2025, https://www.acaps.org/en/us-funding-freeze#c1756 Far from weakening the ecosystem alone, these enforced changes caused by funding cuts are significantly affecting the country’s ability to keep the pledges made at the 2023 GRF, and consequently its contribution to the GRC objectives.
Diminished principle of shared responsibility and significant strain on an already precarious national system
In line with the ethos of the GRC, countries that receive and give shelter to refugees, often for long periods of time, make a major contribution to the common good and to humankind’s cause in general, by drawing on their limited resources. Consequently, it is fair and vital that these countries are given tangible support by the whole international community in order to steer the response. This is the principle of charge-sharing and responsibility-sharing, one of the Compact’s four objectives.
The drastic cut in US aid – from USD 27.6 million in 2024 to USD 10.4 million in 2025 (a cut of 62%), for the HCR alone –[9]UNHCR, Niger Funding Update, 2024, https://www.unhcr.org/media/niger-funding-update-2024, and Niger Funding Update, 2025, https://www.unhcr.org/media/niger-funding-update-2025 has significantly undermined this principle and its implementation, at the same time weakening the dynamic of international solidarity and encouraging other funders, particularly European Union, Italy and Germany to reduce their funding commitments for refugees in Niger. Moreover, it is worth reiterating that bilateral relations between Niger and some European states had not been in good shape since the political changes that took place in July 2023,[10]Ali Lamine Zeine was appointed prime minister on 7 August 2023 by the military junta that had seized power on 26 July 2023 [Editor’s note]. a political situation that had already had an impact on European funding.
These circumstances are increasing the pressure on existing national services which, in addition to the population’s current needs, which are far from being adequately covered, will now have to take into account the share of refugee needs not covered by aid partners. In the medium term, this will lead to a deterioration in refugee living conditions, to increased tension with host communities, and to Niger’s commitment to offer protection and sustainable solutions being called into question.
Reduced access to basic social services and an increased risk in host regions
The ongoing insecurity and conflicts in the Tillabéri, Diffa, Maradi and Tahoua regions are continuing to cause forced displacement and are worsening the difficulties experienced by displaced people and the host communities. As already mentioned, all this is taking place against a backdrop of funding cuts, which has led to reduced aid cover. The impact of the pause in programmes is already being felt in terms of access to basic social services.[11]ACAPS, Global Analysis, US Funding Freeze& Terminations, op. cit.
Over 212,000 refugees no longer have access to essential healthcare services, specifically maternal health and mental health support, because of the suspension of mobile clinics and the diminishing supply of essential medicines. The cuts to the water support, care and sanitation programmes have left over 100,000 people without access to an adequate supply of clean water or basic hygiene measures, which increases the risk of waterborne and communicable diseases.
In the education sector, with 38% of refugee children enrolled in primary school and only 9% attending secondary school,[12]UNHCR, Enquête sur le suivi des résultats (RMS) au Niger, août 2025, https://reliefweb.int/report/niger/unhcr-niger-results-monitoring-survey-report-august-2025 cuts to education programmes and dedicated staff, particularly implementation partner staff, are jeopardising recent progress. The risk is even greater for the over 90,000 refugee children currently not in education and who, without access to education, will have no opportunity to build a future and contribute to their communities.
Regarding food aid, over 114,000 vulnerable people no longer receive cash assistance, which prevents them from meeting their basic needs such as food, hygiene products and transport. Over 260,000 people are going without essentials such as blankets, mattresses and cooking utensils. These basic items are key to their survival and dignity. Assistance has only been maintained for the most vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers.
Shelter needs are particularly urgent: over 209,000 refugees live in inadequate accommodation, a concerning situation as it can increase exposure to gender-based violence and other protection risks, particularly for women, children and people with disabilities.[13]Joint UNHCR-WFP assessment mission, September 2025. Women and girls are exposed to an increased risk of sexual violence, particularly sexual assault and child marriage, as privacy and physical security are lacking.
This is how these US and European funding cuts are not just compromising protection and assistance, but are also eroding the humanitarian space. As resources dwindle, UNHCR’s capacity to negotiate access, monitor protection trends and deliver services with its partners in areas destabilised by violence, also drops.
Refugee self-reliance and socioeconomic inclusion at risk
The GCR had raised the hope of ensuring a transition from aid to self-reliance through socioeconomic inclusion, training and access to opportunities and resources available in refugee hosting regions. To this end, Niger had adopted an “out-of-camp” strategy aiming to integrate refugees into local communities, providing them with access to land, housing, education and health services.[14] UNHCR Niger, Résumé des trois engagements du Niger…, op. cit. In Niger, the term “villages of opportunity” is used. See the article by Julien Ramadji Begoto in this issue: … Continue reading Over the past two years, this propitious environment has enabled the foundations to be laid for a pathway towards this self-reliance for thousands of refugees who were still reliant on aid. Some progress had already been made, even if consistent efforts still needed to be made to improve refugees’ means of subsistence, as the majority (98%) are still below the poverty threshold.[15]ReliefWeb, Évaluation multisectorielle des besoins 2024 – Niger – Région de Tahoua, 16 novembre 2024, … Continue reading
With the funding cut, players are having to focus on emergency operations to meet life-saving needs to the detriment of what it had set in motion until that point, namely structural programmes to foster refugee empowerment and self-reliance. In a context of recurring crises and defunding, the limited resources have been channelled into operations to help vulnerable people: access to food, drinking water, primary healthcare and protection. Although this prioritisation is indeed necessary to save lives, it pushes into the background professional training, entrepreneurship support and socioeconomic integration, when it does not freeze them completely. Consequently, the local and national initiatives that had started to bear fruit, notably the conversion of sites into Village Development Hubs in the Maradi and Diffa regions, have slowed down due to a lack of resources, which prolongs reliance on emergency aid and compromises refugees’ prospects of sustainably integrating into the area.
In the long term, the lack of sustainable prospects make it likely that refugees will be forced to adopt negative survival strategies, such as making use of child labour to contribute to family income, early and forced marriages for young girls, or even secondary migration, often in precarious and risky circumstances.
Furthermore, this slowdown of structural programmes does not only impact refugees, but also the host communities. Indeed, many projects such as professional training, income-generating activities and community infrastructure benefited both the refugees and local communities, in this way fostering social cohesion and local development. Cuts to these initiatives mean that refugees are likely to be perceived more as an additional drain on already limited resources, rather than an opportunity to boost the local economy or strengthen collective resilience. This situation can worsen tensions, undermine peaceful coexistence, and compromise integration efforts, even though the two groups had shared in the benefits of joint projects up to that point.[16]Colin Delfosse, « Au Niger, cohabitation fructueuse entre réfugiés et communautés locales au sein des “villages d’opportunité” », UNHCR, 6 juin 2023, … Continue reading
Local players put to the test
Faced with budget cuts, local players – in this case local authorities and community-based organisations, including those run by refugees – find themselves on the front line. They now have to take on a broader role to cover areas not covered by international partners. In this context, the aid localisation agenda, which aims to strengthen the leadership and capacity of local actors, is becoming both more urgent and more complex.
Rethinking action to stay on track to achieve the GCR objectives
The funding cut is seriously jeopardising the achievement of the GCR objectives and Niger’s ability to keep the commitments it made at the GRF, particularly with regard to self-reliance, local integration and finding long-term solutions.
Funders should perhaps not view funding for refugees as simply a political decision; it is a vital necessity. Cutting aid budgets is a serious mistake and a moral failure because the most vulnerable countries, which host the majority of the world’s refugees, are paying the highest price. If budgetary adjustments are needed, they should firstly target sectors able to absorb the impact, rather than humanitarian aid, a sector in which the slightest cut immediately results in more suffering, dangerous survival strategies and barriers on the pathway to self-reliance.
Players must urgently strengthen coordination between humanitarian workers and development professionals in order to pool resources, avoid duplication and maximise the impact of operations on populations. This takes the form of better joint planning, stringent monitoring of outcomes and the use of reliable data to guide priorities. Advocacy addressed to funders needs to be stepped up so that financial pledges are kept, and fair sharing of responsibilities is promoted, while new sources of funding are explored, specifically from development banks, the private sector, foundations and innovative mechanisms.
Investment in local authority, community organisation and refugee capacity-building will help secure the long-term future of initiatives, even in a context of limited funding. This includes training, skills transfer and support for local governance bodies so they can develop sustainable solutions in the long term.
Finally, it is important that the government keeps the commitments made at the GRF in order to safeguard what has been achieved and a legal environment conducive to refugee inclusion, despite a context of limited funding.
Translated from the French by Gillian Eaton
Picture credit: ©Lys Arango pour Action contre la Faim
