The United Nations human rights chief on Thursday appealed for $500 million in extra-budgetary resources for 2025 to support the monitoring and investigation of human rights abuses around the world from Syria to Sudan.

The U.N. human rights office has been grappling with chronic funding shortages that some fear might be exacerbated by cuts from top donor the United States under new President Donald Trump.

"In 2025, we expect no let-up in major challenges to human rights," said High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk in a speech at the U.N. in Geneva. "I am very concerned that if we do not reach our funding targets in 2025, we will leave people...to struggle and possibly fail, without adequate support."