UN Agency Resumes Aid to Palestinian Refugees After 4-Month Strike Ends
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) on Friday resumed its services for Palestinian refugees in the West Bank after a four-month union strike ended, according to UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini. The strike had led to the suspension of critical services, impacting nearly 900,000 refugees and leaving over 40,000 children on the brink of losing an entire school year.
Lazzarini expressed relief at being able to restart services and underscored the priority of reopening 90 UNRWA schools, aiming to mitigate educational losses. He also noted that the strike had further strained the already resource-depleted agency, which had been grappling with chronic underfunding.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a warning about the agency’s precarious financial situation, urging donor countries to support UNRWA in fulfilling its mandate. The agency’s essential services include education, health care, relief, social services, and camp improvement for refugees, all of which were severely disrupted during the strike.
