UN agency for Palestinian refugees runs out of money to pay salaries
The announcement comes as the UN body is strained with increased demands and still reeling from a total funding withdrawal imposed by the Trump administration.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees announced Monday it will not be able to pay the salaries of thousands of employees through the end of the year.
The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) notified its staff of 28,000 that due to budget shortfalls, it has run out of money to pay workers through November and December. Most of those affected are refugees themselves and based in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.
The announcement comes as the UN body has strained to keep up with an increased demand for services, led by a growth in the number of registered Palestinian refugees as well as funding cuts by the United States and other donors.
Over the last five years, the UNRWA has reduced about $500 million out of its budget. Those cuts led to staff removals, a halt on repairs and infrastructure investments, increased classroom sizes to 50 students per teacher and reduced humanitarian assistance efforts. The agency said the global coronavirus pandemic has only aggravated an already difficult situation.
