Guterres warns: UNRWA on verge of collapse due to funding shortfalls, Israeli restrictions

NEW YORK, July 01 (YPA) – UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) is “on the verge of collapse” due to a severe funding crisis.

He emphasized that the safety and well-being of millions of refugees are now at stake, and that any further funding cuts could push the situation beyond the breaking point.

Speaking at a donor conference , Guterres explained that the agency is facing an acute liquidity shortage alongside sweeping restrictions across the Occupied Palestinian Territories. He expressed deep shock at the continuous efforts to marginalize the agency through legislative measures, as well as diplomatic and operational hurdles.

The Secretary-General also highlighted the “horrific” living conditions in the Gaza Strip, settler violence in the West Bank, and Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon.

These remarks come at a time when Israeli occupation views the agency as “politically biased,” with the Israeli Knesset recently passing a law to immediately cut off water and electricity supplies to UNRWA offices.

YPA