Gaza: United Nations Secretary-General Ant³nio Guterres emphasized the importance of supporting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), highlighting the critical situation faced by millions of Palestine refugees, particularly in Gaza. He stated that assisting UNRWA is a responsibility of the international community toward these refugees.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, Guterres addressed the General Assembly Committee during the announcement of voluntary contributions to UNRWA. He described the dire living conditions in the Gaza Strip, where residents contend with unexploded ordnance, open sewers, rodent infestations, disease outbreaks, high temperatures, and displacement. Critical necessities such as safety, shelter, food, clean water, education, and healthcare remain scarce, forcing many to sleep outdoors and endure hunger.
In the occupied West Bank, Guterres noted that Palestinians encounter continuous violence from colonists, settlement expansion, home demolitions, land confiscation, displacement orders, and movement restrictions. He underscored the threat of annexation, which would violate international law.
The UNRWA faces significant operational challenges due to sweeping restrictions in the occupied Palestinian Territory and a financial shortfall that threatens its regional activities. Guterres highlighted a budget deficit of 100 million US dollars, despite austerity and cost-control measures, hindering the Agency's ability to fulfill its obligations.
Guterres reaffirmed that UNRWA's mandate, renewed six months ago by the General Assembly with strong Member State support, enables essential services for 2.6 million individuals in need. He stressed the international community's ongoing responsibility toward Palestine refugees and warned that the financial shortfall could have severe repercussions for the region, emphasizing UNRWA's role as a stabilizing presence amid instability.