​​​​​​WASHINGTON

The head of the UN agency for Palestine refugees, or UNRWA, warned Thursday that a severe funding shortfall threatens essential services for millions across the region.

“Unlike in previous years, the projected income in the first quarter of 2026 is too low to absorb a large deficit from 2025,” Philippe Lazzarini told the UN General Assembly’s Fourth Committee in New York.

“In the absence of a significant influx of new funding, the delivery of critical services to millions of Palestinian refugees across the region will be compromised,” he said.

Lazzarini said the agency faces a shortfall of about $200 million between the end of 2025 and early 2026, and “it may not be possible to maintain UNRWA’s operations at their current scope and quality.”

He noted that UNRWA provides 40% of all primary health care in the Gaza Strip and educates hundreds of thousands of children. The agency is “vital to the survival of millions of Palestinians,” he said.

Curtailing operations would have “grave consequences” for regional stability, particularly in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan, according to Lazzarini.

The UN agency has been facing severe financial difficulties since Israel launched a defamation campaign against UNRWA, claiming that staff members were involved in the Oct. 7 attacks. Despite UNRWA's requests for the Israeli government to provide information and evidence substantiating the allegations, no response was received, according to the agency. Israel's accusations prompted several key donor nations, including the US, to suspend or pause funding.

Speaking to reporters at a news conference after the committee meeting, Lazzarini responded to Anadolu's question on the future of UNRWA and regions that may face shutdowns if new funding does not materialize.

Explaining that the agency does not decide on the shutdowns, Lazzarini said: "If we are in a situation where we have no resources anymore, we might have to go back to the General Assembly and ask: 'What do you want us to prioritize?'"

"I still believe that what the agency is asking for and the shortfall we are confronted with is addressable," he stressed, urging UN member states to not just "rubber-stamp the renewal of the mandate, but make sure that it is accompanied by genuine support, commitment and resources to make sure that the agency is in a position to fulfill the mandate."

When asked about the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) ruling on Israel's obligation to lift restrictions on the agency's work and mechanisms to ensure compliance, the UNRWA chief explained that the ICJ's advisory opinion is non-binding but will serve as a legal reference for many countries.

"I don't expect that the state of Israel, all of sudden say, 'We will abide to the ruling of the ICJ advisory opinion," he said, adding that the ruling will "become the norm of many countries" and ensure that UNRWA is part of the UN.