UN chief urges full funding for UNRWA amid protests over service cuts

RAMALLAH: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reaffirmed his commitment to defending the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees and ensuring it can continue its vital support for Palestinian refugees.

According to the UN spokesperson, Guterres called for “full funding for the agency’s vital work.”

Recent protests in the West Bank’s Balata refugee camp opposed cuts to UNRWA services, employee dismissals, and plans to close the agency’s hospital in Qalqilya.

The Palestine Liberation Organization’s Refugee Affairs Department and service committees in refugee camps across Nablus governorate and the northern West Bank organized the protest with the Fatah movement.

Participants rejected the cuts and called for adequate, sustainable funding to maintain health, education, and relief services, and to protect the rights of refugees and agency employees.