NEW YORK: United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) cannot be replaced.
Several countries, including the United States, Britain, Germany, and Japan, have suspended funding to the UNRWA. Guterres has been leading talks with donor countries in an effort to reinstate payments.
“No other organisation has a meaningful presence inside Gaza -- and nothing compared with this situation. So there is no other organisation that would be able now to replace” it, Guterres told a media briefing on Thursday.
Guterres pointed to the cost effectiveness of UNRWA as he defended why it was the best-placed organisation to continue to deliver aid to Gaza, Palestine News and Information Agency (WAFA) reported.
“The costs with UNRWA are much lower than the costs with other agencies for historical reasons. The salaries paid by UNRWA are one-third of the salaries paid by UNICEF or WFP or other UN organisations,“ Guterres said.
“So any attempt of replacement, that is not possible,“ he added. - Bernama, WAFA
