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U.N. refugee agency freezes hiring, cuts spending amid U.S. aid pause

Scoop: UNHCR's directors scrambled to tighten its budget because of the Trump administration's 90-day aid stoppage.

A flooded refugee camp in northern Syria. (Salah Darwish/Unsplash)

BRUSSELS (AN) – UNHCR is the latest U.N. agency to be forced to impose urgent spending cutbacks after nearly US$1 billion of its 2025 budget was held up due to U.S. President Donald Trump's freeze on foreign assistance.

The U.N. refugee agency's move in response to the Trump administration’s 90-day suspension and review of most foreign aid signaled a widening crisis on Tuesday among the many U.N. agencies and other international organizations that depend on U.S. funding. 

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