The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has enough funds to carry out its operations until the end of May, UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini said.
Lazzarini said that this situation arose after many donors stopped funding UNRWA due to accusations from Israel that some members of the Agency participated in the Hamas attack on Israeli territory on October 7.
“What I can say today is that we can carry out our operation until the end of May, while a month ago I had expectations only for the next week or two,” said Lazzarini.
He added that it shows how bad the organization’s financial situation is.
UNRWA, which provides aid and basic services to Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank and across the region, has been in crisis since Israel charged 12 of its 13,000 staff in Gaza with involvement in the October 7 attack on Israel.
The allegations have prompted several countries, including the US, to freeze funding. Many countries, including Canada, Australia, Finland and Sweden, have since continued to make payments.
“I hope that more of them will return,” said Lazzarini, commenting on the donors’ decisions, Fena news agency writes.
Photo: AA
