Donors pledge US$ 482 million in support of the world's forcibly displaced at Geneva Conference

GENEVA, December 15 (UNHCR) - Donor governments today pledged US$ 482 million for the UN refugee agency's operations in 2012 to help forcibly displaced and stateless people worldwide. An additional US 122 million was pledged for 2013 and beyond.

UNHCR's total budget requirements for 2012 and 2013 are $3.59 billion and $3.42 billion respectively.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres thanked donors for their support:

"This funding is vital for our work in ensuring the protection and well-being of millions of individual refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced and stateless people," Guterres said. "Given the pressure that donors face in the current uncertain economic environment, we are particularly gratified to see this level of support."

UNHCR's budget for 2012 and 2013 is based on a careful assessment of the needs of people of concern that the agency anticipates being capable of addressing in the next two years. As in previous years, the organization's global refugee programme remains the largest component of its requirements - amounting to $2.7 billion of the $3.59 billion needed.

Of the world's more than 43.7 million forcibly displaced people and estimated 12 million stateless, some 33.9 million people receive protection and assistance from UNHCR.

Sub-Saharan Africa remains the largest recipient of UNHCR assistance, accounting for 45.6 per cent of the total needs in 2012, followed by 15.7 per cent for the Middle East and North Africa and 14 per cent for Asia and the Pacific.

UNHCR is almost entirely funded by voluntary contributions, mostly from governments. As such, it acts as a vital funnel for international funding towards the needs of the world's forcibly displaced.

For further information on this topic, please contact:

In Geneva:

• Melissa Fleming on mobile +41 79 557 9122
• Adrian Edwards on mobile +41 79 557 9120
• Andrej Mahecic on mobile +41 79 200 7617