Key facts
- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) is nearing a breaking point.
- Guterres called for $100 million to cover a funding gap for UNRWA.
- UNRWA provides services to 2.6 million Palestinians across Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria.
- US funding was cut in January 2024 following Israeli accusations of staff involvement in the October 7 attack.
- UNRWA has reduced service delivery hours by 20% and is keeping 15% of international posts vacant.
- 390 UNRWA staff have been killed in Gaza since October 2023.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, is nearing a breaking point due to a significant funding shortfall and ongoing operational restrictions. He urged member states to urgently provide $100 million to cover the deficit, emphasizing the agency's critical role in providing essential services like schooling and healthcare to 2.6 million Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria.
The agency's financial situation has become increasingly precarious following the US's decision to cut funding in January 2024, after Israel accused approximately a dozen UNRWA staff of participating in the October 7 Hamas attack. Sweden also halted its 2025 funding, and other major donors temporarily paused contributions pending investigations. While most have resumed, the cumulative impact has created a liquidity crisis.
Guterres highlighted that UNRWA's mandate was recently renewed by the General Assembly with overwhelming support, underscoring its importance as a stabilizing force. He rejected what he described as ongoing efforts to undermine the agency through disinformation and operational roadblocks, noting that 390 UNRWA staff have been killed in Gaza since October 2023.
To cope with the crisis, UNRWA has already reduced service delivery hours by 20%, cut salaries for local personnel, and left 15% of international posts vacant. Guterres cautioned that any further cuts could push conditions past the breaking point, describing the situation as an existential crisis. The results of an ad hoc meeting on voluntary contributions were expected to be announced soon.