New York,
[as delivered]
Madam President of the General Assembly, Excellencies,
As we meet here today, the safety and welfare of millions of Palestine refugees hangs in the balance.
In Gaza, Israeli attacks have killed more than a thousand Palestinians since - and despite - the ceasefire announced last October.
And living conditions are utterly appalling:
Unexploded ordinance. Open sewers. Rodent infestations. Disease outbreaks. Soaring temperatures. Widespread displacement.
Families struggle to access safety, shelter, food, clean drinking water, education, and healthcare.
Many are still sleeping out in the open or going to bed hungry.
In the occupied West Bank, Palestinians face relentless settler violence and settlement expansion - along with home demolitions, land confiscation, displacement orders, movement and access restrictions, and the growing threat of annexation, which would blatantly violate international law.
In Lebanon, despite the present agreement, many are still uprooted following air strikes and evacuation warnings.
In Syria, Palestine refugees remain displaced after 13 years of conflict, while others return to heavily damaged homes.
And in Jordan, they live on a shoestring.
Excellencies,
For generations, Palestine refugees have counted on UNRWA for registration, emergency assistance, and essential public services.
I commend Member States for their continued contributions and indispensable support.
But the Agency's situation is increasingly precarious.
It faces sweeping restrictions throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
And a cash shortfall that imperils its work across the region.
Despite painful austerity and cost-control measures, a deficit of 100 million US dollars prevents the Agency from meeting its current obligations.
I commend the leadership of Christian Saunders, the Acting Commissioner-General, under these growing pressures.
And I applaud the tireless efforts by UNRWA personnel to keep delivering under some of the harshest conditions imaginable.
I have rarely - if ever - seen such dedication.
But let's be real: They cannot keep going like this without urgent backing and financial support from Member States.
I am deeply concerned about UNRWA's liquidity crisis, which jeopardizes its ability to implement its mandate.
A mandate given by the General Assembly and renewed six months ago with overwhelming Member State support.
A mandate that enables the provision of critical services to 2.6 million people in need.
And a mandate that reflects the international community's continuing responsibility towards Palestine refugees.
The cash shortfall has grave implications for the entire region.
UNRWA is a stabilizing force in an age of instability:
