Published on 6/30/2026
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, warned that the Palestine Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) is facing a “dangerous turning point” that threatens its survival, stressing that the agency suffers a severe financial deficit amounting to $100 million, at the same time as it is being subjected to political and legislative attacks aimed at marginalizing its role in the occupied Palestinian territories.
In his speech at the annual conference before the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, Guterres stressed the need to provide urgent and immediate financial support to the agency, saying, “I urge you to provide the necessary financial resources, not next year or next month, but today and now.”
The Secretary-General of the United Nations explained that the harsh austerity measures taken by the agency are no longer sufficient to prevent the imminent collapse of its vital services on which millions of families depend.
The Secretary-General also condemned the “illegal seizure” of the UNRWA headquarters in occupied East Jerusalem, considering it a flagrant violation of United Nations diplomatic immunities.
Guterres revealed that for 18 months, no international employee has been allowed to enter the occupied territories, criticizing “smear campaigns” and legislative measures that seek to undermine the agency’s work, pointing out that the agency has reduced working hours to provide services by 20%, which means reducing the salaries of most local employees and keeping 15% of international jobs vacant.
He warned that any additional reduction could tip the situation in UNRWA towards collapse. The Israeli occupation authorities, citing an official and governmental decision, demolished the headquarters of the Palestine Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) last January.
The Israeli narrative considers that the presence of the agency keeps the refugee issue alive internationally, which is what Israel seeks to abolish by removing the status of “refugee” from the descendants of Palestinians who were displaced in 1948.
Humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza
Guterres described the conditions in the Gaza Strip as “absolutely horrific,” noting that the population lives at the mercy of diseases, exposed sewage drains and acute hunger, despite ceasefire announcements.
He stressed that UNRWA remains the “backbone” of regional stability, as it provides health care and education to more than 2.6 million refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.
Guterres highlighted the ongoing tragedy of Palestinian refugees in Syria, stressing that they are still suffering from bitter displacement 13 years after the outbreak of the conflict inside Syria. He explained that those returning are facing a harsh reality in homes that have been severely damaged, making their livelihoods almost impossible without international support.
As for Lebanon, the Secretary-General indicated that waves of displacement continue to haunt refugees following air strikes and repeated evacuation warnings despite existing agreements, which places additional pressure on the financially exhausted agency.
