Overview
- U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told an ad hoc General Assembly pledging meeting on Tuesday that UNRWA faces an immediate roughly $100 million funding shortfall and warned the agency was nearing a breaking point.
- The United Kingdom announced new support at the New York conference, reporting a £23 million pledge and a broader $30.7 million package for the year that includes funding to help implement the Colonna review's reforms.
- UNRWA has already cut service hours by about 20 percent, reduced local staff salaries and left roughly 15 percent of international posts vacant as part of emergency austerity measures that have eroded aid delivery.
- The agency has suffered heavy losses and operational disruption in Gaza and the region, including the deaths of hundreds of staff and the January demolition of its East Jerusalem headquarters, which hamper its ability to reach civilians.
- Donor politics remain central: the U.S. suspended funding in January 2024 after Israeli allegations about some UNRWA staff, the U.N. has pursued reforms and investigations, and further donor decisions will determine whether basic services are restored or cut further.