UNRWA urgently requires $100 million to address a severe liquidity gap that has reached a breaking point, Secretary-General António Guterres warned the General Assembly on Tuesday, as the agency faces an existential crisis compounded by Israeli restrictions, funding suspensions, and the demolition of its East Jerusalem headquarters.

The agency has already reduced service hours by 20%, cut local salaries, and left 15% of international posts unfilled. Guterres stressed that UNRWA cannot continue operating without urgent financial backing from member states. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric confirmed the ad hoc session’s outcome will determine the agency’s survival.

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More than 15 Western nations, including the U.S., Germany, the UK, Canada, Australia, Italy, and France, suspended funding in January 2024 after Israeli accusations that a dozen UNRWA staff participated in the October 7 Hamas operation. No evidence was provided, and most nations gradually resumed contributions, but the U.S. maintains its ban.

UNRWA must be allowed to operate at full capacity in #Gaza and bring in essential supplies. Lives depend on it.

At a moment of unprecedented humanitarian need, every available resource must be fully mobilised to sustain education, healthcare, water and sanitation, and vital… pic.twitter.com/BrSjnCgHzq

— UNRWA (@UNRWA) July 1, 2026

Israel escalated actions against international organizations in January 2026, severing ties with seven UN agencies and demolishing UNRWA’s East Jerusalem headquarters. UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini condemned the destruction as the latest attack on the UN, part of a systematic campaign to dismantle Palestinian refugee status and erase their history.

UNRWA provides healthcare, education, and social services to over 2.6 million Palestinians across Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.

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