UN Secretary-General Guterres urges global support for UNRWA amid Gaza humanitarian crisis

United Nations Secretary‑General Antonio Guterres addressed the General Assembly’s voluntary contributions committee, warning that the living conditions in Gaza are "absolutely horrific". He cited risks from unexploded ordnance, open sewage, rat infestations, disease outbreaks, extreme heat and mass displacement. Guterres also highlighted ongoing violence in the occupied West Bank, noting settlement expansion, house demolition, land confiscation, evictions, movement restrictions and the looming threat of annexation, which he said would breach international law.

The agency that assists Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, is confronting a cash shortfall of about $100 million, jeopardising services for its 2.6 million beneficiaries. Guterres called the agency’s funding "a responsibility of the international community" and warned that "the cash shortfall has serious repercussions for the whole region". He stressed that UNRWA remains a strong stabilising element in an era marked by instability.