Gaza
UNRWA lays off staff in Gaza amid $70 million budget shortfall
Image credit: Mondoweiss
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The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees has conducted mass layoffs in Gaza due to an inability to cover a $70 million funding gap, Mondoweiss reported. The agency attributed the cuts to financial constraints forcing it to reduce services across the territory.
However, laid-off employees, UNRWA's staff union, and the agency's former spokesperson characterized the layoffs as targeting something beyond immediate budget pressures—the refugee question itself. They suggested the cuts reflect a broader effort to reshape the organization's approach to Palestinian refugees rather than simply addressing temporary funding shortfalls.
