Annual Report 2025
Danish Refugee Council reached more than 7.5 million people in 2025 amid growing global displacement
The Danish Refugee Council reached 7,502,200 people in 2025 across its global operations, despite an increasingly challenging operating environment. Of those reached, 59% were displaced people (including refugees and internally displaced persons), 32% were members of host communities, and 9% were people at risk of displacement.
"Major reductions in funding for humanitarian assistance fundamentally impacted humanitarian organisations. Despite these profound changes and challenges, DRC continued to provide emergency humanitarian assistance and protection in the world’s worst humanitarian crises, while supporting durable and sustainable solutions for displaced families and communities”, wrote Carsten Stendevad, DRC Chair and Charlotte Slente, DRC Secretary General in the DRC Annual Report 2025.
Among DRC's key achievements in 2025:
- 3,717,900 people assisted through emergency responses
- 14 million square metres of land cleared of explosive ordnance – equivalent to approximately 2,000 football pitches
- 1.7 million people assisted through site and camp management programmes
- 3,784,200 people supported through initiatives promoting self-reliance and entrepreneurship
- 1,305,000 people protected from violence, coercion, and deliberate deprivation
- 798,900 people received cash assistance
- 1,628,499 people received support through shelter, infrastructure, water, and sanitation services
- 204 local and national partners engaged across DRC's operations
The report highlights DRC's work in some of the world's most severe humanitarian crises. In Sudan, DRC expanded emergency responses as conflict intensified, providing cash assistance, protection services, and access to basic needs. In Afghanistan, following a major earthquake, DRC supported affected communities with earthquake-resistant housing, livelihood support, and legal assistance. In Gaza, DRC scaled up partner-led site management to improve coordination and access to services for displaced families in an extremely constrained operational environment.
2025 also presented significant challenges for the humanitarian sector. Growing needs, shrinking resources, and major reductions in humanitarian funding, including cuts from the U.S. government, previously accounting for approximately 20% of DRC's overall
funding, required difficult organisational decisions. During 2025, DRC closed operations in six countries and reduced its global workforce while maintaining support to people affected by displacement across 28 countries.
In Denmark, DRC continued to provide critical support to refugees and asylum seekers. During 2025:
- 8,800 people received legal aid and asylum counselling
- 4,350 volunteers contributed to DRC's work
- 76% of people reached reported being fully satisfied with the support received
- 72% said their views were taken into account
DRC extends its sincere gratitude to its partners, donors, volunteers, and staff whose trust, dedication, and commitment make this work possible.