UN agency in Palestine pleads for funding

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) issued a rallying cry to UN member states to push in more funds to the agency.

A boy and Palestinian employees of UNRWA take part in a protest against planned salary cuts [Mohammed Salem/Reuters]

As of Thursday, the Gaza-based agency said it's gone completely broke partly because of receiving the lowest funding its ever received since 2012, and the increase in demand for its services because of the ongoing pandemic.

UNRWA notified its 28,000 employees that if the agency isn't able to raise at least $70m before the end of November, the human rights organization won't be able to pay all staff members for the remainder of the year.

The cry for more funds were first echoed at the beginning of the month, but none of the UN member states acted to rescue the agency that now says it's on the "edge of a cliff."

But Philip Lazzarini, UNWRA commissioner-general, said he's confident UN member states will now step in and support the organization given their now dire situation.

We can avoid falling if the solidarity of the international community is expressed now,” Philip Lazzarini, UNWRA commissioner-general, said.

President Trump's decision to withdraw all funding to the agency is partly to blame for the drastic decrease in capital. The U.S is the largest donor to the UN. President Trump blocked off all funding after Palestinian authorities withdrew from peace talks with Israel because of "bias" actions the Trump administration took in favor of Israel.

By: Niza Nondo