UN head to meet with major Unrwa donors

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres is to meet with key Unrwa donor nations in New York on Tuesday, according to his spokesperson.

Unrwa funding is expected to be discussed when the the UN’s new Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag briefs the UN Security Council for the first time on Tuesday.

The meeting takes place after 12 staff with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees were accused by Israel of involvement in the 7 October attacks, Agence France-Presse reports. The allegations have not been independently verified. 

A group of 21 aid organisations issued a joint statement saying that as “the largest humanitarian agency in Gaza” Unrwa's role “cannot be replaced by other agencies working [there]”.