"Lives will be lost." Several weeks after January's announcement by the United States (US) of a freeze on international humanitarian and development aid, the shock wave has continued to spread, and its consequences have begun to emerge. In particular, President Donald Trump's administration decision has shaken up the two UN agencies that provide aid to refugees and migrants, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which rely on the US for more than 40% of their funding.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi declared on March 20 that "brutal funding cuts in the humanitarian sector are putting millions of lives at risk," citing "immediate and devastating" consequences for the 120 million forcibly displaced people worldwide.

According to information received by Le Monde, some 400 job cuts, out of a workforce of 20,000, have already been planned, and programs interrupted, at a time when the UNHCR has received no American funding and has no cash reserves. The agency's financial crisis has been exacerbated by an announced reduction in aid from European countries due to budgetary constraints.

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