NEW YORK, 24th September, 2026 (WAM) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Member States to provide urgent political and financial support to protect the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and ensure the continuation of its vital services for millions of Palestine refugees, warning that the Agency's ability to continue its work is in jeopardy.

Speaking at a ministerial meeting in support of UNRWA, held at UN Headquarters in New York on the sidelines of the High-Level Week of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, Guterres said Palestine refugees continue to face grave and persistent risks across the region.

In Gaza, he said, living conditions remain "utterly appalling," with families struggling to access safety, shelter, food, clean drinking water, education, and health care.

In the occupied West Bank, Guterres said Palestinians face "relentless settler violence and settlement expansion," along with other measures and "the growing threat of annexation, which would blatantly violate international law."

The Secretary-General stressed that UNRWA remains a vital stabilising force in the region, providing essential public services and support on which millions of Palestinian refugees rely every day.

He said the Agency's personnel provide critical services as doctors, nurses, counsellors, teachers, engineers and drivers. In Gaza, UNRWA remains the largest primary health care provider and carries out immunisation campaigns, nutrition screenings, water quality testing, and pest control efforts, while operating water wells, desalination systems and waste management services and providing psychological support and emergency learning.

Guterres also highlighted actions affecting UNRWA facilities in occupied East Jerusalem, including the seizure and demolition of its premises and the cutting off of water and electricity services to multiple facilities. Israeli authorities, including security forces, also entered the Kalandia Training Centre, one of the agency's longstanding vocational training facilities.

Turning to UNRWA's financial situation, Guterres warned that the Agency faces a severe liquidity crisis, saying that "a deficit of $100 million prevents the Agency from meeting its current obligations."

He warned that the cash shortfall has grave implications for the entire region and jeopardises UNRWA's ability to implement the mandate entrusted to it by the General Assembly.

Guterres urged Member States to provide the political and financial backing needed to sustain the Agency's work, saying, "Your political support is crucial, but I urge you to match it with the necessary financial resources. Not next year. Not next month. Now."