UN Secretary‑General Guterres warns of UNRWA funding shortfall and West Bank settlement expansion

UN Secretary‑General Antonio Guterres warned on 30 June that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) faces a severe financial crisis that threatens the livelihoods of millions of Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. He told donors that further cuts could push the humanitarian situation beyond a critical point, urging immediate funding to maintain operations.

Guterres also condemned the ongoing expansion of illegal Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, describing it as the worst displacement crisis there since 1967. He warned that new settlement projects, such as the proposed E1 area, would fragment Palestinian territory and jeopardise the feasibility of a two‑state solution, calling on Israel to halt settlement activity and ensure accountability for settler violence.