United Nations Radio

The Commissioner General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, Karen AbuZayd(photo) has warned that UNRWA is facing what she calls "a grave and imminent crisis" and if it is to be averted, the Agency must receive significant additional pledges in the first quarter of 2009.

Addressing UNRWA's annual meeting that brings together donors, host governments, NGO partners and other UNRWA stakeholders, AbuZayd explained that according to present budget projections, in the first quarter of next year, the General Fund which funds UNRWAs core services will suffer a shortfall of upwards of US 87 million. This combined with other under-funded projects put on hold from previous years means an overall shortfall across the agency of about US 160 million. She says, "This will bring UNRWA closer to financial crisis than it has ever been."

The meeting heard updates in UNRWA's five fields of operations, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza. With regard to Jordan and Syria, AbuZayd said that UNRWA was "seeking to build on the assets of national stability, economic opportunity and relatively well developed infrastructure to create new avenues of achievement for Palestine refugees. Commenting on UNRWA's work in the West Bank, Karen AbuZayd said that her agency had introduced "new and more accurate ways to identify refugees in greatest need."

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