The United Nations General Assembly on Friday voted decisively to renew the mandate of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), reinforcing international support for the agency at a time of mounting humanitarian need and escalating political pressure.

During the session, the resolution passed with 151 votes in favor, 10 against, and 14 abstentions, signaling broad global backing for the institution that has served Palestinian refugees for more than seven decades.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini welcomed the outcome, describing it in a post on X as a reflection of “the broad solidarity of people across the world with Palestine Refugees.”

He added that the vote also served as “an acknowledgement of the international community’s responsibility to support the humanitarian + human development needs of Palestinian refugees pending a just & lasting solution to their decades-long plight.”

Lazzarini urged UN member states to translate the renewed mandate into practical action: “This decision must be matched with genuine commitment and sufficient resources to ensure the mandate is fulfilled.”

Founded over 70 years ago, UNRWA provides crucial services — including education, healthcare, food assistance, and social protection — to millions of Palestinians who were forcibly displaced from their homeland in 1948 and their descendants.

Funding Crisis Deepens After Israeli Allegations

The agency has been struggling through a severe financial crisis in recent months after Israel launched a campaign accusing UNRWA staff of involvement in the Oct. 7 attacks. Despite repeated requests, UNRWA says it has received no evidence from Israeli authorities to substantiate the accusations.

Nonetheless, several major donor countries — most notably the United States — suspended or froze funding following the Israeli claims, exacerbating the agency’s already dire budget shortfalls and threatening essential services for Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.

The General Assembly’s renewed mandate signals firm political support for UNRWA at the UN’s highest deliberative body. However, humanitarian groups warn that without immediate financial backing from member states, the agency may be unable to sustain its operations amid one of the worst crises Palestinian refugees have faced in decades. (ILKHA)