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Antonio Guterres condemns the ‘false, misleading campaign’ against the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
Published on 1 Jul 2026
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has asked countries to raise $100m to support the UN. Palestinian refugee organizationUNRWA, —saying that millions of people are at risk because of the shortage.
The UN chief said on Tuesday that Status of UNRWA It was very difficult because of the severe lack of funding and the severe Israeli restrictions on the organization’s work in all of the Palestinian territories.
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“As we meet here today, the security and well-being of millions of Palestinian refugees is at stake,” Guterres told a UN aid conference.
Guterres cited the “horrendous” situation in Gaza, violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, and Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, where many Palestinian refugees have sought refuge.
“(UNRWA) faces many restrictions throughout the Palestinian territory. It is the lack of funding that puts its work in jeopardy throughout the region,” he said.
Due to a lack of funding, UNRWA, which was created by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in 1949 to help Palestinians driven from their homes by the establishment of Israel, has been forced to reduce its activities.
The Secretary-General also said that reducing UNRWA’s funding “could push things further into the future”.
UNRWA works in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria, providing aid, education, health care, medical assistance and shelter to 2.6 million Palestinian refugees.
The United States was the largest donor to UNRWA but cut funding in January 2024 after Israel claimed – without providing evidence – that a small number of UNRWA workers were involved in the October 7, 2023, assassination attempt by Hamas in southern Israel.
An investigation by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services found that nine UNRWA employees “may have been involved” in the plot.
The investigation looked at 19 workers accused by Israel and found no evidence, or insufficient evidence, against 10 others.
Guterres said the organization’s lack of funding is jeopardizing its ability to meet its mandate, which was renewed by the UNGA six months ago with the support of members.
“They cannot continue to do this without immediate support and financial support from member states,” Guterres said, noting that the organization has taken steps to introduce reforms and adjust its foreign and political policies following Israel’s accusations.
“UNRWA is a stable organization in a time of instability,” he said, rejecting what he called continuing to undermine the organization through “disinformation, negative campaigns, legalization, operational restrictions, diplomatic blockades and more”.
This threatens the lives of millions of Palestinians and UNRWA staff, Guterres said, noting that 390 UNRWA personnel have been killed by Israel in Gaza since October 2023.
UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the results of the UNRWA voluntary conference will be announced on Wednesday.
Speaking at the meeting, Turkey’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ahmet Yildiz, said that UNRWA was facing unprecedented political protests and obstruction of its work, while its staff and equipment were the victims of Israel’s attacks on Gaza and the occupied territories.
According to the Turkish news agency Anadolu, Yildiz said that Israel’s action was a “clear violation of international law”, designed to “deprive Palestinian refugees of their right to return to their homeland”.
