New York – The UN General Assembly Committee will hold a meeting at United Nations Headquarters on Friday in a bid to bolster countries’ donations for the agency.

The UN refugee agency for Palestinians is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said that solving the “chronic financial problem” facing the agency requires political will to match the support of the various parties to the UNRWA mission.

In a press conference in New York,  Lazzarini said that the problem “lies in the contradiction between what UNRWA is expected to do and the resources available to it,” pointing to “the unique nature of UNRWA’s work, as it is the only agency mandated to provide services similar to government services.”

The UN official stressed the importance of keeping up with the resources to the needs, warning that “UNRWA will not have funding or cash as of next September to continue operating its schools, and the resources necessary for the operation of its health centers and other vital services are running out.”

UNRWA supports about 5.9 million Palestine refugees in its five areas of operations: Jordan, Gaza, the West Bank including East Jerusalem, Lebanon and Syria.

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