GAZA, (PIC)
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said on Sunday that services provided to Palestinian refugees have been reduced by 20% due to political and economic pressures, warning that the worsening financial crisis threatens the agency’s ability to continue carrying out its mission.
The UN agency’s Director of Communications, Jonathan Fowler, said in press statements that UNRWA is being directly targeted by smear campaigns aimed at undermining its work and damaging its reputation.
He added that the principles of international law are seeing a noticeable decline, noting that violations are no longer even met with attempts at justification, as was the case in the past.
“In the past, when international law was violated, there was at least some embarrassment or an attempt to show that the violation had not occurred. Today, we are facing a reality where some openly say: international law does not concern me, and I do not consider myself bound by it.”
He pointed out that “the seizure and demolition of UNRWA offices in East Jerusalem by Israeli authorities last January is one of the clearest examples of these violations.”
Fowler explained that this action represents a clear violation, as UNRWA is a United Nations agency, meaning that targeting its facilities constitutes an attack on UN premises. He also noted that East Jerusalem is considered occupied territory under international law.
He further stated that UNRWA is facing a severe financial crisis, primarily due to its reliance on voluntary donations, making its funding “highly vulnerable to political fluctuations.”
According to Fowler, the agency is currently facing a cash deficit of around $100 million, which has forced it to reduce its services by 20%, including in education, healthcare, and sanitation sectors.
He emphasized that working conditions in the Palestinian territories have become “more dangerous than ever,” noting that around 400 UNRWA staff members have been killed in the Gaza Strip.
