Diplomacy is still the only viable path to peace in Ukraine, UN refugee chief Barham Salih says

KYIV, Ukraine — There are many obstacles to a peace deal in Ukraine, but a diplomatic solution remains the only viable option, the newly appointed head of the U.N. refugee agency said Friday, warning that humanitarian operations are increasingly overstretched because of multiple global crises.

Barham Salih, Iraq's former president who was elected UNHCR high commissioner in December, made his first visit to Ukraine since taking office.

After traveling to Ukraine's front-line cities, including Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia, he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and discussed the latest in efforts to secure a peace deal. He also discussed the future of UNHCR operations as Ukraine endures Russian attacks on its energy grid during a harsh winter.

''You have to be hopeful, but I do understand the difficulties in the situation, and it's clear, of course, there are many, many impediments along the way, but at the end of the day, there is no military solution. There needs to be peace, a durable and just peace so that people can go back to their lives,'' he said, speaking to The Associated Press in an interview in Kyiv.

''Things are not necessarily easy, definitely not easy, but let's redouble the effort to make sure that diplomacy has a chance and really bring about a durable and just peace to this war that has been going on for far too long,'' he added.

Of the agency's $470 million appeal for Ukraine, only $150 million has been pledged. The shortfall reflects deep cuts across the humanitarian sector, making it increasingly difficult to deliver aid across multiple crises.

There are 3.7 million Ukrainians displaced within the country and nearly 6 million Ukrainians outside the country who have become refugees in Europe and elsewhere, he said.

The U.N. agency in Ukraine predicts 10.8 million Ukrainians will require humanitarian assistance in 2026, according to a report from the agency. The most critical needs are concentrated along the war's front lines in the eastern and southern parts of Ukraine, as well as in the northern border region. Intensified hostilities produce fresh waves of displacement.

The agency's Ukraine appeal competes with large-scale conflicts in Sudan and Gaza. Since his appointment, Salih has spent only one week in his Geneva office, traveling to Kenya, Chad, Turkey and Jordan before visiting Ukraine.

Drastic cuts to U.S. humanitarian funding under President Donald Trump has accelerated the erosion of global humanitarian infrastructure and severely undermined the ability of organizations to deliver aid.

There are 117 million displaced people worldwide, including at least 42 million refugees, Salih said. Two-thirds face protracted displacement and remain dependent on humanitarian assistance.

Deciding where to prioritize given shrinking resources is ''difficult'' he said.

''We need to be there to help people, but also I have to say we really need to look at durable solutions too as well. It's not a matter of sustaining dependency or humanitarian assistance,'' he added.