Gaza refugee committee warns of UNRWA cuts — Anadolu Agency
The Unified Refugee Committee in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, said that cuts and restructuring at the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) could undermine the provision of basic services. The committee called for an end to measures affecting refugees and agency employees.
According to Anadolu Agency, the committee said it was following recent changes at UNRWA with deep concern, including contract terminations and cuts affecting staff and programs. According to the committee, these measures concern the agency's microfinance and development department.
Demands for transparency
The committee stressed that UNRWA's financial crisis must not turn into a crisis of services and rights paid for by employees and Palestinian refugees. In its assessment, further restructuring and cuts without transparency and consultations with staff and refugee representatives threaten the agency's ability to fulfill its mandate.
The committee noted that services in Gaza need to be expanded rather than reduced, primarily in education, healthcare, assistance, and protection. It called for an immediate halt to cuts affecting key services or employment guarantees, as well as ensuring the rights of employees whose contracts are terminated in accordance with applicable regulations and laws.
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Funding and the agency's role
The committee called on UNRWA to publish a restructuring plan with criteria, stages, and implications for staff and services. It also insists on involving employee and refugee representatives in decisions on the agency's future, retaining qualified personnel, and ensuring sustainable funding from the UN and donor countries.
UNRWA provides registered Palestinian refugees with education, healthcare, assistance, and social services in five areas of operation: Gaza, the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as well as Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. The committee recalled that the UN General Assembly extended the agency's mandate until June 30, 2029, through Resolution 80/78.
The warning came amid mounting pressure over UNRWA's future role in Gaza. On July 1, the Board of Peace, chaired by US President Donald Trump and overseeing the implementation of the transitional plan for Gaza, stated that UNRWA has no place in the new Gaza. This prompted Palestinian and Arab criticism and warnings that excluding the agency would undermine its UN mandate, the issue of Palestinian refugees, and the right of return.
