More Stories

Informist, Wednesday, Jul. 1, 2026

 

NEW DELHI – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has flagged an urgent need for $100 million for the UN Relief and Works Agency, which works for Palestinian refugees. Pointing out that the safety and welfare of millions of Palestinian refugees hangs in the balance, he urged UN member nations to cover the funding gap.

 

"Despite painful austerity and cost-control measures, a deficit of 100 million US dollars prevents the agency from meeting its current obligations," Guterres told a donor conference for the UN relief agency.

 

India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Harish Parvathaneni, said India has been a consistent contributor to the agency and has already pledged $5 million for the body, half of which it has already released as the first tranche. "India's engagements with UNRWA are guided by its unwavering support for the Palestinian people and efforts aimed at addressing their humanitarian needs and aspirations," Parvathaneni said.

 

The UN secretary-general underlined that sweeping restrictions by Israel on the agency's work throughout the occupied Palestinian territory imperils its work. He highlighted the "utterly appalling" living conditions in Gaza, violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, and Israeli attacks on Lebanon, where many Palestinian refugees have sought shelter.

 

The UN Relief and Works Agency, set up in 1949, works in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria, providing aid, schooling, health care, social services, and shelter to 2.6 million Palestinian refugees.

 

The US was the agency's biggest donor but cut funding in January 2024 after Israel alleged that a few of its staff members took part in the Oct. 7, 2023, ‌attack by Hamas on southern Israel. Other major donors including Germany, the UK, Canada, Australia, Italy, and France, followed suit. Guterres warned that further funding cuts for the agency could "push conditions beyond breaking point".

 

Meanwhile, the US mission to the UN asked countries to fund the Board of Peace founded by President Donald Trump. "UN Member States have a choice: Fund incitement, terrorism, and stagnation with pledges to UNRWA. Or fund the Board of Peace, giving Gazans a path to peace and prosperity. History will not forget," it said in a social media post.

 

Israel has long resisted any UN presence in Palestine, passing laws and instituting bans as part of a systematic campaign against bodies involved in relief work there.

 

Guterres expressed shock over the "continuing efforts to marginalise and undermine" the UN agency through "disinformation, smear campaigns, legislative actions, operational restrictions, diplomatic roadblocks, and more". He said these actions threaten the well-being of millions of Palestinians. "Every single one of the agency's premises in Gaza Strip has been damaged or destroyed. For nearly 18 months, none of the international personnel have been allowed to enter the Occupied Palestinian Territory," he told the members.

 

Since October 2023, more than 390 of the agency's workers in Gaza have been killed, he said. "I condemn these actions in the strongest terms--and call for adherence to international law."

 

India seconded the secretary-general's stand as it reiterated its support for "a negotiated two-state solution leading to the establishment of a sovereign and independent and viable state of Palestine, side by side with Israel".  End

 

Reported by Asim Khan

Edited by Rajeev Pai

 

For users of real-time market data terminals, Informist news is available exclusively on the NSE Cogencis WorkStation.

 

Cogencis news is now Informist news. This follows the acquisition of Cogencis Information Services Ltd. by NSE Data & Analytics Ltd., a 100% subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. As a part of the transaction, the news department of Cogencis has been sold to Informist Media Pvt. Ltd.

 

Informist Media Tel +91 (11) 4220-1000

Send comments to feedback@informistmedia.com

 

© Informist Media Pvt. Ltd. 2026. All rights reserved.