The United Nations Coordinator, Tor Wiensland, said this evening, Wednesday, that the World Food Program will stop cash assistance to about 200,000 Palestinians next week.

He added, "Without new funding, the World Food Program will stop cash assistance to about 200,000 Palestinians next week and UNRWA will not have the resources to provide basic services this September."

"I am particularly troubled by the funding crisis facing UN agencies that support basic services and social support, including emergency food aid for the Palestinians," Wensland continued.

He explained that these issues come along with the current financial challenges facing the Palestinian Authority and the decline in donor support in general, calling on Member States to immediately search for ways to increase their support to the Palestinians, including funding UNRWA and the World Food Program, without which we will face serious humanitarian and perhaps security challenges.

Wensland stressed that the urgent priority is to support the steps to support the Palestinian Authority and preserve vital services for the Palestinian people, calling for the implementation of these steps in a way that encourages the parties to deal with each other, including political and basic issues.

"This requires greater efforts by Israeli and Palestinian leaders, along with increased support and attention from the international community," he said.

We must take action, not only to ensure Palestinian well-being and governance, but as an integral part of ending the occupation and restoring the political horizon towards a viable two-state solution, based on UN resolutions, international law and previous agreements.

He called on all parties to stop the unilateral and incitement measures that undermine the prospects for peace and to address the acute financial and institutional challenges facing the Palestinian Authority.

Wensland explained that the United Nations has mobilized in recent weeks with regional and international partners to end the round of fighting between the armed Palestinian factions in Gaza and Israel, stressing that such efforts are necessary to save the lives of Palestinians and Israelis.

"We must also keep the core issues at the forefront to create the conditions for a lasting peace," he said.