The Danish Refugee Council predicts an increase of over 6 million forcibly displaced people worldwide by the end of next year, due to reduced aid from major donors such as the United States.
The council, a humanitarian organization focused on refugees, considers the cancellation of 83% of USAID programs, which represent a significant portion of global humanitarian aid, a betrayal of vulnerable groups.
In its new report, the council stated that the decision by the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany to withdraw international aid, which it described as devastating, has left millions of the most vulnerable people without essential support.
The council reported that the current number of displaced people worldwide is 122.6 million. It expects the number of displaced people to see a “staggering increase” of 4.2 million in 2025, the highest number predicted by the council since 2021. It also anticipates 2.5 million cases of forced displacement in 2026.
Sudan is expected to account for one-third of the new displaced persons due to internal conflict, making it the world’s worst displacement crisis over the past two years. The council also predicts 1.4 million more people will be forcibly displaced from Myanmar.
While most displaced people come from 27 countries, those in Africa account for about one-third of the world’s displaced, numbering 35 million people suffering from disease and severe food shortages.
Conflicts, violence, and natural disasters have contributed to a tripling of the number of displaced people in Africa over the past 15 years.
The Danish Council considers that the reduction in U.S. aid will significantly affect refugees and displaced persons, exacerbating humanitarian situations. It emphasizes that this will hinder global relief organizations’ efforts and limit their ability to intervene, respond urgently, and provide assistance to those in need.
According to the UNHCR report issued in 2024, the number of forcibly displaced people reached 117 million worldwide in areas suffering from persecution, conflicts, violence, and human rights violations.
The UNHCR said that lack of funding has closed programs to protect adolescent girls in South Sudan and stopped the establishment of safe houses for displaced women at risk of being killed in Ethiopia.
The reduction in U.S. aid has caused many relief groups worldwide to halt their activities and forced them to terminate more than 20 agreements benefiting refugees and displaced persons.
On March 12, Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said that reducing aid would lead to many deaths, as 300 million people worldwide need humanitarian assistance.
The Trump administration had ordered a reduction of $54 billion, or 92%, from foreign development and aid programs as part of the America First agenda.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered the cancellation of 5,800 assistance programs and the suspension of 4,100 grants worldwide, part of the grants previously provided by USAID, whose funding represents 42% of total humanitarian aid globally.
