UNRWA funding is needed now more than ever

UNRWA provides essential protection to 5.9 million registered Palestinian refugees, but unlike most UN agencies, it relies entirely on voluntary contributions. AFP

For nine months, conflict and violence in the Middle East have raged on. The death toll and the extent of human suffering have been staggering, serving as relentless reminders of the cruelty of war. It is currently estimated that at least 38,000 Palestinians have been killed, and 90 per cent of the population of the Gaza Strip are displaced. Additionally, the spectre of famine looms over a population already on the brink, struggling daily for survival. Pervasive images on our television screens and social media feeds vividly document their dire conditions in heart-rending, macabre detail.

This series of tragedies is not new. The Palestinian people have endured severe conditions through multiple crises over the decades, each one exacerbating their suffering and misery, each one bringing with it more privation, more tragedy, more death.

Throughout these ordeals, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has consistently provided essential humanitarian relief to the Palestinian people, becoming the proverbial beacon of hope for a war-ravaged population. Yet even this essential lifeline is now on the brink of collapse, jeopardising the future of countless innocent Palestinian civilians.

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Established on December 8, 1949 by the UN General Assembly under Resolution 302, and beginning operations on May 1, 1950, UNRWA was created to address the needs of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced by the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. Tasked with offering relief and public works programmes, UNRWA set out to improve the living conditions of Palestine refugees and to foster their economic and social development. Over the past 75 years, as the refugee situation has persisted, UNRWA’s mandate has been consistently renewed, enabling the agency to continue providing critical, life-saving services.

UNRWA provides essential protection to 5.9 million registered Palestinian refugees. Additionally, 1.9 million refugees rely on UNRWA health services, and the agency addresses humanitarian needs across 58 recognised refugee camps throughout the region. Its services extend beyond Gaza, supporting Palestinian refugees scattered across Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, where it delivers vital humanitarian assistance.

To many, UNRWA represents the best of what the UN stands for. The agency has the ability to take effective action that transcends routine diplomatic dialogue and empty promises, delivering crucial support to those most in need. UNRWA’s efforts are an indispensable lifeline amid a multitude of political and humanitarian challenges.

However, this lifeline is currently in serious jeopardy. Severe underfunding, together with an orchestrated campaign against its integrity, threatens the agency’s foundational support systems. Despite its mandate running until 2026, UNRWA is on the brink of collapse and could cease operations as early as this year.

Pupils attend an English class at a school run by the UN relief agency for Palestinian refugees in Wehdat camp in east Amman, Jordan, on Tuesday. All photos by Khaled Yacoub Oweis / The National

An ice cream and sandwich shop in Wehdat refugee camp

Pupils' representatives at the UNRWA school

Olaf Becker, director of UNRWA Affairs in the Jordan field office

The challenges facing UNRWA stem from two interrelated factors: structural financial issues and political uncertainties. Unlike most UN agencies, which are included in the overall UN budget and benefit from stable funding, UNRWA relies entirely on voluntary contributions. This dependency makes it vulnerable to the vicissitudes of political shifts, continuously threatening its operations. Additionally, the escalating humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip exacerbates this instability, demanding an increased allocation of resources.

Politically, UNRWA has faced and continues to face accusations that question its neutrality and motives, leading to operational restrictions, limitations on staff movements, and even proposed legislation that could label it as a terrorist organisation. These political challenges intensify the agency’s financial difficulties, jeopardising its ability to function effectively.

Despite these challenges, the UN system has remained steadfast in its support for UNRWA, reflecting our unwavering commitment to Palestinian families and individuals. UNRWA’s Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini has written to me on several occasions, and I have convened the General Assembly to collectively reflect on the agency’s work, as well as current challenges. I have also utilised the platform of my ongoing series of informal morning conversations with Permanent Representatives during my morning Gayap Dialogues to discuss possible options to stabilise UNRWA’s long-term financial footing.

We all have seen, and continue to see, the crucial human impact of UNRWA’s work in the eyes of young children waiting for daily meals, in the hopeful faces of students in UNRWA schools, and through the resilient spirit of families who, despite having lost homes and facing uncertain futures, still cling to hope. These are the lives that animate our mission and underscore the dire need for continued support and stability.

As President of the General Assembly, I call upon all member states to stand up and stand with this essential agency, demonstrating their commitment through real action, not just words. Tomorrow, I will convene the annual UNRWA Pledging Conference. The goal of this conference is singular: to bolster and sustain UNRWA’s lifesaving humanitarian efforts in the Gaza Strip and in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and throughout the Middle East.

Historically, while these conferences have raised awareness among diplomats and world leaders, the financial outcomes have frankly been underwhelming. Yet this year presents a unique circumstance: global focus is already intensely homed in on Gaza. This heightened visibility provides an unprecedented opportunity to finally secure adequate funding. Extraordinary circumstances demand an extraordinary response beyond governments acting alone.

Severe underfunding, together with an orchestrated campaign against its integrity, threatens the agency’s foundational support systems

We must seize this moment to address the dire situation of the Palestinians. Member states, philanthropic organisations and the private sector are all called upon to pledge anew to UNRWA. Underwriting the continuation and pursuit of its mandate is a testament to our collective humanity, a demonstration of our impassioned global solidarity in times of crisis. And this is my solemn appeal to one and all.

We must do all that we can to ensure that UNRWA’s mission continues until a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in the Middle East, through a two-state solution, is realised. Unless the international community restructures UNRWA’s funding, it bears the responsibility to avert its collapse. When a lifeline is severed, the outcome is inevitably catastrophic. This pledging conference must not squander the unique chance to preserve it, for the stakes are nothing less than the lives and futures of millions.

Our actions must go beyond mere charity. We have a moral obligation to sustain humanitarian assistance for thousands of Palestinians who are barely surviving, some teetering on the brink of life and death. Palestinians have endured enough injustice.

Let this pledging conference be the turning point where we collectively act to alleviate the unimaginable suffering of millions. Our efforts, now and not any later, will save lives and forge a path to a hopeful future for all the Palestinian people.