UNITED NATIONS, June 25 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday asked member states to continue to provide funds for the UN relief agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, to keep it afloat.
At an UNRWA pledging conference at UN Headquarters in New York, Guterres asked donors to match their contributions with last year's level. "From our experience in 2018, we also know that it is possible to find the resources to keep UNRWA operational."
UNRWA is asking for 1.2 billion U.S. dollars for 2019, the same amount it raised last year.
"We know what is at risk: education for half a million children, 8 million health care visits a year, emergency relief for 1.5 million," said Guterres. "So today, given what is at stake at the human level, at the political and security level, and at the multilateral level, we must rise to the challenge and empower UNRWA to continue its important and impressive work."
UNRWA's innovative health care services maintain high standards and are remarkably cost-effective. Its emergency and social services address the fundamental needs of millions. In Gaza alone, 1 million Palestine refugees depend on UNRWA for food, he said.
UNRWA has maintained its operations through nearly half of 2019 thanks to generous contributions from member states and others. By the end of June, however, UNRWA faces its first funding shortfall, which will continue to grow unless donors act soon, he said.
Guterres noted that UNRWA has taken extraordinary reform and cost control measures to reduce inefficient spending.
Over the past five years, UNRWA has saved half a billion dollars through these internal measures. At the same time, it has diversified its donor base, he said.
The UN agency, officially known as the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, is a relief and human development aid body for Palestine refugees and their descendants. It currently helps 5.4 million people in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria as well as West Bank and Gaza.
The agency was confronted with its most severe funding crisis in 2018 after the United States, traditionally the largest donor, suddenly cut its funding before it completely stopped its support.
