UNHCR Shifts Vehicle Leasing to UN FLEET Initiative

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) announced that procurement and leasing of its operational light vehicles will now be managed through UN FLEET, a joint initiative established with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in 2022.

UNHCR has completed the transition of its global operational vehicle leasing to UN FLEET, a shared service created with the World Food Programme (WFP), marking a significant step towards improving efficiency, reducing costs, and lowering carbon emissions across humanitarian operations. The move reflects the United Nations' wider effort to modernise support services through greater collaboration between agencies.

Shared vehicle service to improve efficiency

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) announced that procurement and leasing of its operational light vehicles will now be managed through UN FLEET, a joint initiative established with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in 2022.

While UNHCR will continue managing its vehicles in the field, vehicle procurement and leasing responsibilities will shift from its internal leasing service to the centralised UN FLEET system. The change is designed to streamline fleet management across more than 30 United Nations entities, making better use of shared resources while reducing administrative work and operational costs.

The initiative draws on the fleet management expertise developed by both UNHCR and WFP and provides vehicle leasing services that support humanitarian operations in a wide variety of environments around the world.

Standardised fleet supports sustainability goals

A major advantage of the new approach is the standardisation of vehicle models used across participating UN organisations. Using common vehicle types allows agencies to share maintenance services, simplify spare parts supply chains, and improve operational coordination in the field.

UNHCR says the transition will also contribute to its environmental objectives by continuing to reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions while making fleet operations more sustainable.

Dominic Grace, UNHCR's Head of Global Mobility and Infrastructure, said the new arrangement demonstrates the agency's commitment to delivering humanitarian assistance in ways that are both operationally efficient and environmentally responsible. He added that working through UN FLEET will help lower costs, improve resource management, and further reduce emissions across global operations.

UN FLEET continues expanding across the UN system

The shared service forms part of broader United Nations reform efforts that encourage agencies to cooperate on administrative and support functions, allowing more resources to be directed towards humanitarian and development programmes.

Since its launch, UN FLEET has signed agreements with 38 UN entities, including 17 global agreements covering operations in 104 countries. The service currently manages more than 1,000 leased vehicles, with that number expected to grow to almost 2,000 vehicles by the end of 2026.

UNHCR says the transition comes at a time when humanitarian needs continue to increase while resources remain under pressure. The agency believes shared services such as UN FLEET provide a practical way to improve efficiency, strengthen collaboration across the UN system, and build more agile operations that can better support people affected by crises around the world.