"UNRWA": 94% of Gaza residents lack adequate shelter
The acting Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Christian Saunders, warns of an exceptional financial crisis with a deficit of $100 million, and confirms that 94% of Gaza residents lack adequate shelter, 90% suffer from lack of clean water, as winter approaches and funding is severely lacking.
The acting Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Christian Saunders, warned of an exceptional financial crisis facing the agency, with a cash flow deficit of about $100 million for 2026. This came during a ministerial meeting on UNRWA on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. Saunders confirmed that 94% of Gaza residents lack adequate shelter, 90% face repeated interruptions in access to clean water, and 98% of families live near environmental hazards including sewage, rubble, and rodents. He noted that the ceasefire provided some relief, but millions of Palestinians still live in deep insecurity, with winter approaching and a severe funding shortage. He explained that over 10,000 employees continue to provide services to about 1.7 million people, including managing 80 emergency shelters, returning hundreds of thousands of children to education, and providing 70,000 medical consultations weekly. He warned that the situation in the West Bank is "worrying and increasingly difficult," noting that the displacement of Palestinians has reached levels not seen in the region since 1967. He confirmed that the financial crisis forced the agency to reduce service hours by 20% and local staff salaries. He called on countries to provide strong political and financial support.