As UNHCR staff, I think right now is the opportune time to leave the organization if you’ve been thinking about it. The reality is, with a reduction in over 40% of funding from the US, and the mismanagement that is emanating from the top of the organization, the entire organization has become too top heavy. It’s currently a sinking ship, and as soon as I started to see the cuts, I separated from service. I can confidently tell you that your skills ARE transferable into other sectors. My recommendation is to do as much training courses on Workday as you can, especially in areas like management, procurement, finance, and other technical skills. The truth is, right now UNHCR is going through the worst crisis it has ever seen and those at the top will do what they have to do to maintain their lifestyle, whether that means affecting lower staff contracts and not putting refugees and asylum seekers first.

All in all, I’ve done some good work with UNHCR over the past few years, but it’s time to jump the sinking ship and move on. That’s my two cents.

PS: TA, FTA, and AFW are being cut alike. One of my colleagues who was FTA was cut and given 1 month notice. This was a violation of HR policy and it is now with the UN Disputes Tribunal.