RAMALLAH, November 15, 2026 (WAFA) – The Palestine Liberation Organization's (PLO) Department of Refugee Affairs on Sunday warned of the implications of UNRWA management's move to notify more than 3,000 employees in the Gaza Strip, each with less than 13 years of service, that they are required to sign temporary three-month contracts.

In a statement issued on Sunday evening, the department expressed its rejection of the measure, stating that it constitutes a serious infringement on employees' job security and contractual rights and paves the way for their gradual dismissal, thereby threatening the livelihood stability of thousands of Palestinian families and undermining the agency's ability to continue providing services to refugees.

Member of the PLO Executive Committee and Head of the Department of Refugee Affairs, Ahmad Abu Holi, said that the UNRWA administration's decision to convert the contracts of more than 3,000 employees from permanent to three-month temporary contracts represents a dangerous approach that jeopardizes their career prospects and leaves them facing an uncertain future.

He said the measure runs counter to the principles of workplace fairness and job security upheld by UN agencies such as UNRWA, and constitutes a violation of employees' contractual and acquired rights.

He explained that the danger of the decision lies in paving the way for a gradual process of laying off staff and terminating their services, beginning with the conversion of permanent contracts into fixed-term, three-month contracts and culminating in their non-renewal and the termination of employees' employment with the agency, which would leave thousands of employees and their families facing job and livelihood insecurity amid the dire humanitarian and economic conditions in the Gaza Strip.

Abu Holi added that the step will exacerbate living burdens on thousands of Palestinian families and negatively affect UNRWA's human and operational structure through the loss of large numbers of experienced and qualified personnel, weakening its capacity to continue delivering essential services in education, health, relief, and social services.

He stressed that UNRWA staff represent the backbone of the agency's ability to fulfill its mandate and provide services to millions of Palestinian refugees, and that undermining their job security and rights directly impacts the continuity of the agency's work and its capacity to meet its responsibilities toward refugees.

Abu Holi called on the UNRWA Commissioner-General and the agency's administration to immediately reverse the decision, halt procedures to convert permanent contracts into temporary ones, and respect employees' contractual rights.

He called for addressing the agency’s financial crisis by securing sufficient and sustainable funding, rather than downsizing staff and shifting the burden of the financial deficit onto employees.

He affirmed that the Department of Refugee Affairs will continue to follow up on this issue with the relevant parties and take action in defense of employees' rights, rejecting any measures that undermine their job security or erode UNRWA's human and operational capacities.

He emphasized that protecting staff rights is an integral part of safeguarding the agency's mandate and ensuring the continuity of its services.

T.R.