UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) is "on the brink of financial collapse," calling on donor countries to fulfill their obligations and take responsibility.
Noting that a number of major donors to UNRWA have recently announced that they may reduce their contributions, he said: "This is very worrying as the agency is already running, with a deficit of nearly $75 million, let's be clear... UNRWA is on the brink of financial collapse."
He added, "When the future of the UNRWA is in the balance, so will the lives of millions of Palestine refugees who depend on its basic services."
The UN Chief warned that "the agency provides education services for more than half a million girls and boys, health care for about two million people, and job opportunities for young people in the Gaza Strip and elsewhere, psychosocial support for millions of children, and a social safety net for nearly half a million of the poorest Palestinians.
However,
the UNRWA supports about 5.9 million Palestinian refugees in its five areas of operations: Jordan, Gaza, the West Bank including East Jerusalem, Lebanon, and Syria.
Follow the latest news on Google News
