In a powerful appeal, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized the crucial need to strengthen the UN agency supporting Palestine refugees (UNRWA) as it faces unrelenting Israeli attacks on its mandate, staff, and operations. Addressing a pledging conference in New York, Guterres underscored the agency’s vital role in providing hope and stability to millions of Palestinian civilians, including vulnerable groups like women, children, and persons with disabilities.
The UN chief painted a stark picture of the dire situation in Gaza, where Palestinians are “forced to move like human pinballs across a landscape of destruction and death.” He warned that without UNRWA’s critical services, including education, health, and social services, the region would plunge into further instability.
Guterres urged donors to “protect UNRWA, protect UNRWA staff, and protect UNRWA’s mandate – including through funding.” He stressed that there is no alternative to UNRWA, which has been providing a lifeline to Palestine refugees for decades.
The pledging conference comes at a critical time, as UNRWA faces a severe funding crisis and a massive gap in resources to match the needs of the Palestine refugees. The agency requires $1.2 billion to cover critical humanitarian needs until the end of the year.
The UN chief’s appeal was echoed by General Assembly President Dennis Francis and UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, who emphasized the immense suffering of both Palestinians and Israelis and the need for a political solution to end the conflict.
Lazzarini warned that a failure to support UNRWA would leave millions of children, women, and men without a lifeline, and other UN entities and international organizations exposed to similar attacks.
The UN chief’s call to action was clear: “Act now to instil hope in a place where it is in short supply; act to uphold the mandate of this General Assembly to sustain UNRWA; act in solidarity with Palestine Refugees and all the Palestinian people.””
