NEW YORK, Wednesday, July 1, 2026 (WAFA) – Palestine's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Minister Riyad Mansour, called on the international community to strengthen its political and financial support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and to intensify international efforts to achieve a just, lasting and comprehensive solution to the question of Palestine.
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly's Pledging Conference for UNRWA in New York, Mansour renewed his call for a just and lasting solution to the Palestine refugee issue based on UN General Assembly Resolution 194, urging the international community to muster the political will and courage needed to end what he described as this historic and ongoing injustice.
He said the Palestine refugee issue remains the world's longest-running refugee crisis and one of the oldest items on the United Nations agenda. Palestinian refugees, he added, continue to suffer forced displacement and the denial of their inalienable rights, foremost among them the right of return, in violation of international law.
Mansour said the suffering of Palestinian refugees has escalated to unprecedented levels in recent years, particularly in the occupied Palestinian territory, amid what he described as Israel's ongoing genocide and aggression against the Palestinian people.
He stressed that UNRWA continues to play a vital role in alleviating the suffering of Palestine refugees and providing essential services despite what he described as Israel's systematic targeting of the agency, its staff and facilities, as well as an unprecedented financial crisis threatening the continuity of its operations.
Speaking on behalf of the State of Palestine, Mansour expressed appreciation for UNRWA personnel, particularly those who lost their lives while carrying out their duties in the Gaza Strip, and called for Israel to be held accountable for crimes committed against them and against United Nations facilities.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, for his part, said Palestine refugees are facing dire humanitarian conditions, particularly in the Gaza Strip, underscoring UNRWA's indispensable role in meeting the needs of millions of Palestine refugees across its five fields of operation and in promoting regional stability.
He warned that the agency's financial crisis, coupled with restrictions on its work, threatens its ability to carry out the mandate overwhelmingly renewed by the General Assembly six months ago, stressing that no other organization can replace or substitute for UNRWA because of its unique capabilities.
Guterres called on the international community to provide urgent political and financial support to ensure the agency's continued operations and to uphold its responsibility toward Palestine refugees, helping create the conditions necessary for achieving a just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution.
Meanwhile, UNRWA Acting Commissioner-General Christian Saunders said the agency continues to face serious political, operational and financial challenges, making it essential to strengthen its capacity to fulfill its mandate toward Palestine refugees.
He stressed that UNRWA continues to play a central role in delivering humanitarian assistance and essential services, particularly in the Gaza Strip, despite operational restrictions and the heavy losses suffered by its staff.
Saunders warned that the current financial crisis and austerity measures are no longer sustainable, emphasizing that the agency requires sustained political and financial support to implement a reform program aimed at enhancing its efficiency and ensuring the sustainability of its essential services.
Representatives of 57 countries addressed the conference, with the overwhelming majority expressing solidarity with Palestine refugees and reaffirming their support for UNRWA's mandate and the services it provides to nearly six million registered Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem.
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