Overview
- At a UN pledging meeting on Tuesday, Secretary‑General António Guterres urged member states to cover a $100 million shortfall, saying the agency is close to collapse after deep cost‑cutting and austerity measures.
- Several countries pledged fresh support at the conference, with the United Kingdom announcing new funding and Pakistan saying it will increase its contribution, while the Holy See renewed its backing.
- The United States representative publicly called for nations to cut ties with UNRWA, reflecting sharp donor divisions that leave the agency dependent on a patchwork of commitments.
- UNRWA has already reduced service hours by about 20 percent, cut local staff pay, left roughly 15 percent of international posts vacant, and suffered heavy losses with about 390–392 staff killed since October 2023.
- The UN commissioned the Colonna review after January 2024 allegations; the agency dismissed a small number of employees, the review found neutrality problems but insufficient evidence of broad terrorist affiliation, and ongoing access restrictions and demolished premises continue to hamper relief for roughly 2.6 million registered Palestinian refugees.