Published on: 2026-09-24
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
September 24, 2026 Humanitarian aid
The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees and works (UNRWA) continues to operate under “extreme pressure,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated on Thursday.
Speaking at the annual ministers’ meeting during High-Level Week in New York, he reminded that nearly 400 UNRWA staff had died in Gaza. Hundreds of the agency’s facilities in the occupied Palestinian territory have become inaccessible, seriously damaged, or completely destroyed.
“These actions are completely unacceptable and incompatible with Israel’s obligations under international law, including the UN Charter,” said the Secretary-General.
According to him, under extremely difficult conditions, UNRWA provides vital services to the Palestinians. However, now both the agency’s operations and its entire mandate, entrusted to it by the General Assembly, are under threat.
Almost two years ago, the Israeli Knesset passed laws banning UNRWA from operating on Israeli territory, including East Jerusalem, and ending cooperation between Israeli officials and the agency. In January of this year, the Israeli government took over the main UNRWA building complex in Jerusalem and began demolishing it. The UN and several countries consider these laws to violate Israel’s obligations under the UN Charter and Security Council Resolution 2730 regarding the protection of humanitarian personnel.
Pressure on the agency
As Guterres reported, UNRWA was excluded from meetings with Israeli authorities where humanitarian operations in Gaza and other areas are coordinated. Israel no longer issues visas to the agency’s staff, and its personnel face intimidation.
The agency is also experiencing a severe financial crisis: it is short of 100 million dollars. This jeopardizes its operations and the well-being of millions of Palestinian refugees.
Guterres called on UN member states to take immediate action. According to him, UNRWA’s ability to do its work is seriously undermined, and the stability of the entire region is at stake.
© UNICEF A wounded woman and two children among the rubble of a house damaged by a strike in the city of Burij, in the Gaza Strip.
“Living conditions remain unbearable”
The Secretary-General noted that as a result of ongoing Israeli strikes, an average of four people die every day, a quarter of them children. At the same time, international law, he said, is being ‘flagrantly violated.’
“The resumption of aid following the announcement of a ceasefire in October last year brought some relief, but living conditions remain unbearable,” Guterres said.
According to him, settler attacks and attempts to expand settlements in the West Bank have pushed the Palestinians “to the limit” and threaten the prospects of a settlement based on the two-state principle.
In these unstable conditions, UNRWA, he emphasized, remains a key factor of stability and a support for many Palestinian refugees.
Unprecedented scale of displacement
Acting UNRWA Commissioner-General Christian Saunders reported that more than 10,000 agency staff in Gaza continue to assist 1.7 million people. In particular, they conduct about 70,000 medical consultations weekly.
According to Saunders, population displacement in the West Bank has reached levels unseen since 1967.
He also reported that BAPOR has fully implemented 41 out of 50 recommendations prepared following an independent review of compliance with the principle of neutrality. He emphasized that scaling down the agency’s operations does not mean changing its mandate.
According to the data presented by Saunders, 94 percent of Gaza residents lack adequate housing, and 98 percent of households are near sources of environmental hazards, including untreated sewage and debris. Humanitarian organizations warn of a severe shortage of aid ahead of winter.
In occupied East Jerusalem, measures against UNRWA have led to the seizure of its headquarters, vocational training center, schools, and medical facilities, Saunders said. He called on UN member states to ensure that the agency can operate in the occupied Palestinian territory in accordance with its mandate.
President of the General Assembly Khalilur Rahman stated that humanitarian access “is not up for discussion.” He called on states to develop the provisions of the New York Declaration and to implement the decision on the creation of two states by carrying out Security Council Resolution 2803.
“Political destruction” of BAHOR
Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi, whose country organized the meeting jointly with Spain and Brazil, stated that UNRWA is “still being politically targeted for destruction,” despite the reforms carried out by the agency. He warned against any changes to its mandate or transferring its responsibilities to host countries.
According to Safadi, these countries are “already doing enough.” The need for the Oslo Accords will disappear only after the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state, he emphasized.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain, José Manuel Albares Bueno, reported that over the past three years his country has allocated more than 85 million euros to UNRWA, and called on other donors to follow its example.
Brazil’s Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira condemned the closure and destruction of UNRWA facilities in East Jerusalem. According to him, the causes of the agency’s crisis are “political in nature.” He reported that during Brazil’s chairmanship of the UNRWA Advisory Commission, the country proposed the creation of a working group to counter misinformation. Vieira also condemned plans to build military facilities on the site of the agency’s building complex in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.
Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of information. It represents an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.