No alternative to UNRWA, UN chief says during donor conference

Several countries halted funding for Palestinian refugee agency after Israel said some of UNRWA's staff were involved in October 7 Hamas attacks

Displaced people salvage items from a damaged UNNRWA building complex in western Gaza. AFP

The UN Secretary General said on Friday that there is no alternative to UNRWA as 118 countries voiced support for the Palestinian refugee agency, calling it a “pillar of regional stability”.

“My appeal to everyone is this: protect UNRWA, protect UNRWA staff and protect UNRWA’s mandate – including through funding,” Antonio Guterres told UN member states at the start of a pledging conference for the agency in New York.

“There is no alternative to UNRWA.”

UNRWA was created in 1949 by a UN General Assembly to serve Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Jerusalem.

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Israel, which has long called for UNRWA to be dismantled, has accused the relief agency of complicity with Hamas, saying the Palestinian militant group was embedded within its infrastructure.

The Israeli parliament is currently considering designating the UN agency as a terrorist organisation.

Several countries halted their funding to UNRWA following accusations by Israel that some of the agency's staff were involved in the October 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel, which triggered the brutal Gaza war.

Most donors have since resumed their funding, while the UN conducts an internal investigation.

Mr Guterres noted that the world body is working on “all fronts” to enact the recommendations of the report from Catherine Colonna, who was tasked with reviewing the agency and making suggestions for improvement. The report found there was a need to strengthen the agency’s work and risk management mechanisms.

“UNRWA is targeted because of its role in safeguarding the rights of Palestine refugees, and because it embodies an international commitment to a political solution,” said agency chief Philippe Lazzarini.

“The notion that the agency can be dismantled without triggering the collapse of the humanitarian response in Gaza and causing chaos in other areas of operation is naive at best.”

The international community underscored the importance of UNRWA's mandate and the need for sustained and predictable funding to ensure its continued operations.

Ahead of the pledging event, Jordan, Slovenia, and Kuwait led 118 countries, including the UAE, in committing continued support for UNRWA, calling it a "lifeline of hope" for millions of Palestinian refugees.

It also recognised the “serious humanitarian, political and security risks that would result from any interruption or suspension of its vital work”.

All 15 members of UN Security Council signed on.

France announced that, in addition to the €33 million ($36 million) already provided in 2024, it will also disburse an additional €5 million ($5.4 million) for emergency food assistance in Syria and Lebanon.

Norway’s UN ambassador Merete Brattested said her country will boost its support to UNRWA by providing an additional $9.3 million, bringing Oslo's total annual contribution to $47 million.

Britain's UN ambassador Barbara Woodward told member states the UK recognises the importance of the UNRWA mandate and the need for the agency to operate on a "sustainable financial footing".

And following last week's elections in the United Kingdom, she asserted, the new foreign secretary [David Lammy] is "closely considering" resuming funding to UNRWA.

US Congress halted additional funding for the relief organisation. The Biden's administration instead redirected funds intended for Palestinian civilians to alternative organisations, while acknowledging that UNRWA remains uniquely equipped to deliver aid.

According to the UN, in 2023, only 27 per cent of the UNRWA emergency appeal for Syria, Jordan and Lebanon was funded.

The UN emergency appeal for $1.2 billion for the Palestinians through the end of the year, along with an appeal for neighboring countries, received only 19 percent of the funding it needs, Mr Lazzarini said.

Despite facing financial and operational challenges, he told reporters as of Friday, UNRWA has "visibility to function until the end of September".