UNRWA warns of $200 million shortfall; salaries, services at risk
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Summary
Commissioner‑General Philippe Lazzarini said UNRWA faces an estimated $200 million funding gap through the first quarter and is operating week‑to‑week; he said salaries can be processed this November but December is uncertain and called for donor commitments tied to mandate renewal.
UNRWA Commissioner‑General Philippe Lazzarini warned reporters that the agency faces a roughly $200 million shortfall between now and the end of the first quarter and that its finances are currently managed "week by week." He said UNRWA expects to be able to process salaries in November but has no visibility on December payroll.
"We run week by week, month by month," Lazzarini said, adding that the agency had put in place "drastic cost control measures" that prevented an additional $150,000,000 in spending. He said the usual influx of new‑year contributions — historically, a major U.S. payment — is not guaranteed this coming January, which increases the near‑term funding gap.
Lazzarini said UNRWA has staged logistical supplies — he referenced the equivalent of about 6,000 trucks in Egypt and Jordan waiting to enter Gaza — but that bringing bulk food and other supplies into Gaza remains constrained by operational restrictions and legislation. He urged member states to accompany any mandate renewal with predictable resources and warned that, if resources run out, UNRWA would have to return to the General Assembly for guidance on prioritizing services.
While Lazzarini stressed that local staff in Gaza were being paid for now, he said the agency faces the risk that continued austerity could further reduce service quality. He called on member states to make UNRWA a predictable partner for recovery, stabilization and the next phases of assistance.
The agency did not announce any immediate programmatic shutdowns in the briefing; Lazzarini said decisions on prioritization would depend on donor commitments and potential guidance from the UN General Assembly.