Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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November 13, 2025 Humanitarian aid
Funding shortages threaten the ability of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) to fulfill its mandate, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said Thursday in a speech to the UN General Assembly.
According to the head of UNRWA, the agency plays an indispensable role in ensuring stability in Gaza and rebuilding the devastated sector. He emphasized that the funding cuts to UNRWA were due to a "virulent" disinformation campaign that tarnished the agency's reputation.
"Reducing or terminating UNRWA's activities would have serious consequences for the entire region," Lazzarini warned. "In Gaza, it would undermine stabilization and reconstruction efforts and jeopardize political progress."
The agency's role in the region
UNRWA has been operating since 1950, providing basic services, protection and humanitarian assistance to Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.
In 2024, the agency provided emergency food aid to approximately 1.9 million Palestinians in Gaza. It also provides in-person education to over 50,000 children.
"We have succeeded in raising generations of Palestinians who have become prosperous citizens of the world, contributing to the economic development of the community throughout the region and beyond, including Europe and North America," Lazzarini said.
Later, during a briefing for journalists in New York, he added that "if destruction and trauma continue to accompany the learning process," there is a risk that Palestinian children will be exploited, radicalized, or join armed groups in the future.
The problem of financing
The agency has come under scrutiny over Israeli allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the October 7 attacks, and the United States, traditionally the agency's largest donor, froze all its funding in 2023.
Deputy Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the UN, Feda Abdelhadi, described the agency as "necessary and irreplaceable."
"We call on all States to remain firm and principled in their support for UNRWA, duly recognizing its vital role," the diplomat said.
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