UNHCR depends on the generosity of dozens of governments and millions of individual donors, without whom it could not carry out its vital work. UNHCR issues a Global Appeal for funding every year, based on its annual budget, which is itself based on the anticipated needs of forcibly displaced and stateless people around the world.  Donors are invited to commit a first tranche of funding at the annual Pledging Conference in December. This early contribution of funds is crucial because it enables UNHCR to count on a certain level of funding from the very start of the year, and because it traditionally includes a large proportion of UNHCR’s “unearmarked” funding, which can be used and re-used during the year to cover urgent and neglected needs.

Major donors responded to UNHCR’s Global Appeal 2025 by announcing pledges worth almost $700 million at the Pledging Conference held on 3 December 2024. Together with pledges previously announced and $355 million pledged by private donors via UNHCR’s National Partners, this means UNHCR will start 2025 with funding of $1.5 billion.