Costa Rica's long-standing commitment to protecting refugees is under threat as severe funding cuts cripple support for surging numbers of Nicaraguan asylum seekers, the UN refugee agency ( UNHCR ) warned on Friday.
"Without funding, asylum seekers are left in limbo - undocumented, unsupported and increasingly desperate," said Ruvendrini Menikdiwela, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection.
Her comments follow a 41 per cent budget cut to the UN agency's operations in the country that have had devastating consequences. "This is not about luxuries; the assistance we're cutting is critical and lifesaving," she insisted.
The Central American nation today hosts more than 200,000 refugees and asylum seekers - adding up to nearly four per cent of its population.
More than eight in every 10 are from Nicaragua, fleeing deepening political and social turmoil linked to serious allegations of "systemic repression", according to independent rights experts reporting to the Human Rights Council .
Despite economic constraints, Costa Rica has continued to offer safety and hope to those escaping persecution, UNHCR said.
