UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday urged countries to cover a $100 million gap in funding for the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, saying the body was nearing a breaking point after deep cost-cutting and austerity measures.
Guterres told an ad hoc meeting of the General Assembly on voluntary contributions that UNRWA’s situation was increasingly precarious given sweeping restrictions throughout occupied Palestinian territory that impeded its work, and the large cash shortfall. The United Nations agency operates in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria, providing aid, schooling, health care, social services and shelter to 2.6 million Palestinians. The US was UNRWA’s biggest donor, but cut funding in January 2024 after Israel accused about a dozen UNRWA staff of taking part in the deadly October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas militants that triggered the war in Gaza. Sweden also cut its 2025 funding. Other big donors paused funding for UNRWA while the Hamas charges were investigated, but most have resumed their contributions.
Guterres said the agency’s liquidity crisis jeopardized its ability to meet its mandate, which was renewed by the General Assembly six months ago with overwhelming member support.
