UN agency for Palestinian refugees faces crisis in providing services

Ramallah, Dec 9 (IANS) The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) will face difficulties in providing the services to refugees in 2022, given the agency has a deficit of $60 million, a top official said here.

"Donors' commitment to providing money for the agency has retreated," UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said on Wednesday during his meeting with a delegation of civil society institutions working with Palestinians in Lebanon.

He added that he continues to work hard on securing funds for the agency, reports Xinhua news agency.

Meanwhile, the delegation informed Lazzarini of the humanitarian challenges facing Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.

Around 463,664 Palestinian refugees are registered with the UNRWA in Lebanon, according to a report issued by the agency in 2017.

The UN estimates around 65 per cent of them suffer from poverty, while 3 per cent of them live in extreme poverty.