Unrwa must be protected and funded, says UN chief

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said on Friday that there is no alternative to the UN Palestinian refugee agency, Unrwa.

Over 118 countries have deemed Unrwa indispensable, despite efforts by Israel to dismantle and discredit it.

Unrwa provides education, health services, and aid to millions of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. Since the conflict between Israel and Hamas began nine months ago, UN officials have emphasised that Unrwa is the backbone of aid operations.

"My appeal to everyone is this: Protect Unrwa, protect Unrwa staff, and protect Unrwa's mandate – including through funding," Guterres said at an Unrwa pledging conference in New York on Friday: "Let me be clear: there is no alternative to Unrwa."

Israel has killed numerous Unrwa staff and destroyed much of the agency's infrastructure during its Gaza onslaught.