The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) warned today, Monday, of the interruption of its services and its inability to pay employees’ salaries during the current and next month.

UNRWA spokesman Adnan Abu Hasna in the Gaza Strip said: “The agency has a deficit of 170 to 190 million US dollars, and this amount is the budget of the programs that are provided, whether for education, health or relief.”

He stressed that this amount is required to be provided to avoid interruptions in the provision of services and to pay the salaries of employees and programs, and so that the United Nations organization can start the new year without debts and financial obligations.

Abu Hasna added: “UNRWA needs 60 million US dollars to cover basic financial needs in September and next, and the agency also needs 75 million dollars to continue providing food aid to about 1.2 million refugees in the Gaza Strip.”

He continued: "UNRWA also needs $30 million to provide cash assistance to about 600,000 refugees in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan during the last quarter of this year."

Abu Hasna pointed out that UNRWA does not work in ideal conditions, as it dealt with emergency situations such as the wars launched in the Gaza Strip, in addition to the increase in the number of refugees and the increase in the volume of requirements.

For years, UNRWA has been suffering from major financial crises that have led to a decline in its ability to provide services to Palestinian refugees, and it warned last June that its services were at risk starting next September.