RAMALLAH, Monday, November 9, 2020 (WAFA) - An official in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) rejected today UNRWA’s decision to cut down the salaries of its employees for November and December by half.

In a statement, member of the PLO's Executive Committee and head of its Refugee Affairs Department, Ahmed Abu Houli, said UNRWA's decision is a dangerous approach that establishes a new policy in dealing with its financial crisis.

He explained that over the past five years, UNRWA has taken measures by reducing its services and programs by $500 million, the last of which was in 2020, as the UN agency cut an amount of $97 million from its regular budget estimated at $806 million, pointing out that such administrative measures have become a constant policy for UNRWA to get out of its financial crisis.

The PLO official expressed concern that UNRWA's decision to pay certain amounts of its employees' salaries will become a constant approach to overcome its financial crisis.

Abu Houli demanded UNRWA's Commissioner-General to retract the decision and search for alternatives to obtain additional financing that contributes to filling the fiscal deficit without reducing the services provided to refugees or the salaries of employees.

A.D./M.K.