UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, alongside top officials in New York on Friday, emphasized the urgent need to support the UN agency aiding Palestine refugees (UNRWA) throughout the Middle East. This call comes amid ongoing Israeli attacks on the agency’s mandate, staff, facilities, and operations.
During a pledging conference for the agency, Guterres highlighted the numerous challenges facing Palestinian civilians in Gaza, who are “forced to move like human pinballs across a landscape of destruction and death.” He warned that “hopelessness is the greatest ally of instability,” stressing that UNRWA’s work provides hope and stability in a troubled region.
UNRWA supports critical services, including education, health, and social services, for approximately 5.9 million Palestine refugees, including vulnerable groups such as women, children, and persons with disabilities. The agency also manages 58 refugee camps, addressing the urgent humanitarian needs of over 1.6 million people across Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
The annual pledging conference, held under the General Assembly’s auspices, is crucial for raising funds for these operations. This year, however, the conference occurs under vastly different circumstances.
Gaza has become a place of immense suffering amidst daily military barrages since the conflict erupted on October 7. More than 38,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed, 88,000 injured, and about 90 percent of the population displaced, many multiple times.
Tensions are also escalating in the West Bank, with fears of the conflict spilling over into Lebanon as Israeli forces exchange daily fire with Hezbollah. As humanitarian needs in Gaza skyrocket, UNRWA faces a severe funding crisis, with many donors suspending their contributions after Israel alleged that some agency personnel were involved in the October 7 attacks.
Although lacking clear evidence, many donor countries have resumed contributions following UN actions. Of the 12 people implicated, the agency terminated 10 contracts, with two others confirmed dead. An investigation by the UN’s Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) was immediately launched and is ongoing.
Prior to these allegations, the Secretary-General had commissioned former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna to lead an independent review assessing UNRWA’s commitment to the humanitarian principle of neutrality. Colonna submitted her final report in April, with key recommendations that are being implemented.
Despite these efforts, UNRWA faces significant gaps in matching resources to needs and requires $1.2 billion to cover critical humanitarian needs until the year’s end. Guterres warned that without additional support and financing, Palestine refugees “will lose a critical lifeline and the last ray of hope for a better future.”
“My appeal to everyone is this: Protect UNRWA, protect UNRWA staff, and protect UNRWA’s mandate – including through funding. Let me be clear: there is no alternative to UNRWA,” he stressed.
Guterres reiterated the need to end the ongoing war, starting with an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and the unconditional release of all hostages.
