UNRWA Calls for Sustained Support Amid Unified Appeals to Fund Agency to Safeguard Regional Stability

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) warned that a cash-flow shortfall exceeding US$100 million threatens essential services for millions of Palestine Refugees and jeopardizes UNRWA's operations across its five fields. Arab host countries, alongside Egypt, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), and the League of Arab States, collectively emphasized the urgent need for sustained political and financial support for UNRWA, underscoring UNRWA's indispensable and stabilising role across its fields of operation.

Held from 19 to 23 July at the headquarters of the League of Arab States in Cairo, Egypt, Session 115 of the Conference of Supervisors of Palestinian Affairs in Arab Host Countries discusses key issues, while brings together delegations from Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, in addition to Egypt, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization, and the League of Arab States. Representing UNRWA, Roland Friedrich, Interim Chief of the UNRWA Representative Office in Cairo, highlighted during discussions on the opening day of the conference the enduring and unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, as well as the deteriorating conditions in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

The conference highlighted UNRWA's continued service delivery across the region and the crucial humanitarian and developmental work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory amid ongoing restrictions, including the ban on UNRWA’s activities in occupied East Jerusalem. 

Furthermore, discussions addressed UNRWA's difficult financial situation in 2026.

UNRWA highlighted the diverse yet interconnected humanitarian challenges facing Palestine Refugees across its five fields of operation. In Gaza, ongoing military operations, repeated displacement and severe restrictions continue to drive catastrophic humanitarian needs. In the occupied West Bank including East Jerusalem, unprecedented levels of forced displacement, settler violence, accelerated settlement expansion, and movement restrictions continue to undermine livelihoods and access to essential services.

In Syria, widespread poverty, displacement and extensive damage to refugee camps make effective early recovery ever more pressing. In Lebanon, Palestine Refugees remain among the country's most vulnerable communities, relying heavily on UNRWA for education, healthcare and essential municipal services. In Jordan, the Agency continues to provide education, healthcare and social services at scale while operating under growing financial pressure.

"Across all five fields of operation, one message is clear: Palestine Refugees continue to face immense humanitarian and socio-economic challenges while the resources available to respond are becoming increasingly constrained," said Roland Friedrich, Interim Chief of the UNRWA Representative Office in Cairo. "UNRWA remains an indispensable stabilising force, providing education, healthcare, relief and protection services that preserve dignity, foster self-reliance and help maintain stability across the region."

The conference underscored the severity of UNRWA's unprecedented financial crisis, which threatens the continuity of essential services across the region. Despite continuing to deliver education, healthcare, social services, emergency assistance and protection, UNRWA faces a cash-flow shortfall of more than US$100 million in 2026. Sustained and predictable international support remains critical to safeguarding these services and preserving regional stability.

UNRWA also highlighted its ongoing organizational reforms to strengthen efficiency, accountability, sustainability and partnerships. Alongside emergency response, UNRWA continues to focus on programmes that promote livelihoods, technical and vocational education, youth empowerment, and digital transformation, supporting Palestine Refugees in building greater self-reliance while preparing future generations for opportunities beyond crisis.

The conference reaffirmed the importance of continued cooperation and partnership between Arab host countries and UNRWA and underscored the need for sustained international support to enable UNRWA to continue fulfilling its United Nations mandate until a just and lasting solution to the question of Palestine Refugees is achieved. "Sustained international support is important to protect lifesaving assistance, essential services and regional stability. We call on donor countries to provide the predictable funding needed to achieve this," said Friedrich.