UN warns of serious financial challenges facing UNRWA

The United Nations Fourth Committee of the UN General Assembly warned against reduction of services of UNRWA in countries hosting the refugees because of diminishing financing of donors which represent a serious political and moral challenge. UN radio quoted the Commissioner-General Filippo Grandi of UNRWA as saying that the agency is facing two major challenges,namely the expansion of conflicts in the Middle East and the scarcity of financing. Starting the year 2020, the population of Gaza Strip will rise by half a million, thus increasing the scarcity of water and the need for jobs, the UN official said. “The agency estimated that the enclave would no longer be livable by 2020 unless urgent action was taken to improve water supply, power, health and basic education, he said. Rebuilding the strip, he added is becoming more difficult because of the obstacles created by Israel. Meanwhile, the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the UN, Riyad Mansour, warned against the consequences the scarcity of financing, saying it will negatively affect health and educational services provided by the agency which will add to the suffering of the Palestinian refugees.