The commissioner general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Pierre Krähenbühl, said on Tuesday 9 October, that his agency had managed to fill a large part of the budget gap left by the halt of US aid.
Krähenbühl told press that while UNRWA had started the year with a deficit of €446 million, this was now reduced to €64 million. He highlighted the role that the EU has played in filling this gap, whether by giving money or motivating others to give money.
Thanks to the funds obtained, the school year was able to begin as planned for 526,000 refugee children. According to Krähenbühl, host countries were concerned that a postponement of the start of the school year could further destabilise the region.
He regretted that the US decision was not taken "in relation to UNRWA's performance, but [was] linked to a political decision", adding that humanitarian aid should be protected from political decisions.
This decision led UNRWA to cut about 118 jobs and transform 500 jobs into part-time jobs out of the agency's 12,500 employees in Gaza. These decisions resulted in public demonstrations. "Gaza is in a really dramatic situation. When you lose your job in Gaza, it's hell", Krähenbühl said, adding: "we no longer had the money to do everything, we had to prioritise – food distribution, health". (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)