Funding: $15 million needed to balance 2002 budget

A number of donors have heeded our call to help us reduce this year's budget shortfall. Since UNHCR made the plea in early October, a total of US$55 million has been contributed by the European Commission, Norway, Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Canada, United States, France, Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg. We have also received smaller contributions from Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Finland and many others. The contributions have provided a most welcome financial relief. However, UNHCR still needs $15 million to balance this year's annual budget which had been already reduced by 12 percent to $728 million.