06. May. 2025
The Grundfos Foundation is setting aside DKK 7.5 million to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, which the organization can draw on with just 24 hours' notice. The agreement enables UNHCR to respond quickly and effectively to acute crises and emergencies – which is critical at a time when the humanitarian sector is facing a severe funding crisis.

The new agreement between the Grundfos Foundation and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is based on a high level of trust and few requirements. In total, the Grundfos Foundation is donating DKK 7.5 million, which UNHCR can request with only 24 hours’ notice in the event of urgent humanitarian needs in both new and protracted conflicts and emergencies.

This gives UNHCR the flexibility to respond rapidly and direct resources to where the needs are greatest – including to situations that may not be in the media or public spotlight.

“We know we cannot fill the gap left by the recent, massive global cuts in funding to the humanitarian sector. But with our trust-based approach, we can give our partners what they ask for: flexibility, speed and the freedom to act effectively without rigid reporting requirements. This translates into life-saving assistance for innocent people caught in the world’s conflicts and disasters. We hope our model can inspire other foundations and donors to do the same – because when we act with trust, we can save lives.“
Kim Nøhr Skibsted, Executive Director of the Grundfos Foundation

A strained financial situation

The agreement comes at a critical time. The number of people forcibly displaced around the world has never been higher – 124 million people. At the same time, UNHCR and other humanitarian organizations are facing a funding crisis that has severe consequences for people forced to flee, whom UNHCR is mandated to help and protect. People who are often completely dependent on UNHCR’s presence, emergency aid and protection services.

“We are deeply grateful for the Grundfos Foundation’s commitment and the trust they are placing in us at UNHCR. This agreement is a clear demonstration of how a strong and visionary partner from the private sector can make a tangible difference for people forced to flee. The Grundfos Foundation is taking responsibility, and the flexibility the agreement provides is invaluable at a time when needs are enormous, resources are scarce, and speed is critical. This is a partnership that saves lives.“
Eva Raabyemagle, Head of Private Sector Partnerships in UNHCR in Denmark

The need to rapidly mobilize financial support for victims of new conflicts and disasters is greater than ever. Life-saving humanitarian assistance – such as access to clean water, medical aid and protection – has been significantly reduced or shut down entirely in several countries. Without new and flexible funding for UNHCR’s emergency response, people forced to flee will be left without basic support when disasters strike in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions.

First allocation already made

UNHCR has already identified where the first funds will be allocated – namely, to the emergency response in Chad, which, as a neighbouring country to the Sudan conflict, has received more than 760,000 Sudanese who have fled the brutal fighting in their homeland. The conflict in Sudan has now lasted for two years and continues to drive refugees across the border into Chad every single day – the vast majority of them women and children. This puts additional pressure on one of the world’s poorest countries, which is already severely affected by extreme weather events, conflict and economic instability.

facilitates coordination among humanitarian partners to deliver timely aid and avoid protection gaps.

Refugees from Sudan are received at the transit centre in Tine, Chad, where they are provided with emergency assistance, including food, clean water, shelter, and medical support. Phto: UNHCR

The generous donation from the Grundfos Foundation is helping UNHCR sustain parts of the most critical emergency response. The funds could, among other things, help secure emergency water supply for approximately 200,000 Sudanese refugees in Chad. This makes a huge difference in a situation where only 14% of the required funding for UNHCR’s humanitarian efforts in Chad is currently secured.

An innovative model

With the innovative, trust-based funding model, the Grundfos Foundation is taking the lead in strengthening an important philanthropic practice. The rapid and flexible support through the emergency relief partnership is a critical addition to the long-term strategic partnerships the Foundation already has with UNHCR.

Both UNHCR and the Grundfos Foundation hope and believe that the agreement is more than just a donation. It contributes to a critical way of doing philanthropy – one where trust and the ability to act fast are at the center when humanitarian crises strike.

Aboutengue Refugee Settlement, located in eastern Chad near the Sudanese border, is one of several camps established to shelter individuals fleeing the conflict in Sudan ; Chad is hosting almost 1.3 million forcibly displaced people, including more than 760,000 Sudanese refugees who have fled the ongoing conflict in Sudan, since April 2023. The influx, mostly women and children, adds pressure to an already struggling country facing economic instability, conflict and extreme weather shocks. UNHCR is supporting the Government of Chad in coordinating the humanitarian response, to relocate refugees away from the border to consolidated refugee sites, and to ensure access to protection services and essential aid, such as water, shelter, food and medicine.

Aboutengue Refugee Settlement, located in eastern Chad near the Sudanese border, is one of several camps established to shelter individuals fleeing the conflict in Sudan. Photo: UNHCR