UN Palestinian refugee agency appeals for substantial funding boost

Gaza [Palestine], July 30: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) needs to raise millions of dollars to bridge its deficit before the end of 2023, a UNRWA official said on Saturday.
Adnan Abu Hasna, the UN agency's media advisor, told reporters in Gaza City that the agency needs more support to fund health, education, relief, and other programs for Palestinian refugees.
According to the official, the lack of funding will affect the organization's food aid programs in the Gaza Strip that would benefit 1.2 million Palestinian refugees, its cash assistance programs in Syria and Lebanon, and the normal operation of the organization.
He warned of the consequences of suspending food and cash aid programs on which hundreds of thousands of refugees depend in both Lebanon and Syria, two countries that were hit hard by economic turmoils.
Established in 1949, UNRWA was mandated to provide humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugees. Nearly all of its funding comes from voluntary contributions.
Source: Xinhua