The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has been forced to cut its services by 20 percent due to a severe funding shortfall, its chief has said, urging donor countries to turn their political support into concrete financial contributions.
Speaking to Anadolu on Wednesday, Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini stressed that the agency is facing a major financial crisis.
“The agency has today a huge financial shortfall to keep all its services across the region, (which) is more than $200 million,” he said, adding that the agency cannot keep covering audit expenses.
“Despite the number of austerity measure that we already took in 2025, I had to take an additional decision to decrease the volume of our services by 20 percent, which means that instead of going, for example, five days to school, you go four days to school, which means that instead of keeping our health clinic 40 hours a week, it will be open for 32 hours,” he said.
Daily struggle for survival continues in Gaza
Addressing the situation in Gaza, Lazzarini underlined that only 50 people have been allowed to cross the Rafah border crossing that was reopened under strict Israeli restrictions.
“Let's be clear, the Rafah crossing has just opened. We have 50 people allowed to cross for the time being, and it's only open for pedestrians. So it's not a new supply road into Gaza,” he said.
He noted that people in Gaza continue to struggle and are being killed under the “in name only” ceasefire agreement with Israel, which took effect on October 10 2025.
“They continue to struggle for the basics. They don't have shelter. The winter has been very harsh. The health condition, very poor. So, it's a daily struggle for survival, still ongoing in Gaza,” he concluded.
UNRWA’s work and Israeli attacks
Funded through voluntary contributions from UN member states, the UNRWA has been the main agency providing humanitarian assistance to Palestinian refugees since it began operations in 1950, delivering food, healthcare, education and shelter.
The agency supports 5.9 million Palestinian refugees. Over more than 75 years of work, UNRWA facilities have been repeatedly targeted by Israeli attacks, with tonnes of food and medicine destroyed.
In October 2024, the Israeli parliament banned the agency's activities in Israel and occupied East Jerusalem, citing allegations that some agency employees were involved in the events of October 7 2023.
The suspension of UNRWA operations has adversely affected the lives of approximately 2.5 million refugees in the Palestinian territories.
During this period, several donor countries suspended their financial support to UNRWA, plunging the agency — which relies largely on voluntary contributions — into a deep financial crisis.
On January 20, Israeli forces raided the UNRWA headquarters in occupied East Jerusalem, seized the compound, and demolished facilities inside.
