The UN agency for Palestinian refugees is continuing to face criticism from Palestinians themselves.
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It all started a few months ago when UNRA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said the agency was weighing tasking other UN agencies with providing services to Palestinian refugees to contend with the financial crisis in the organization.
The announcement was seen by some Palestinians as an attempt to break up UNWRA and put an end to the refugees' "right of return."
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the forging of partnerships with other large UN bodies such as the World Health Organizations and the United Nation's International Children's Fund was aimed at continuing to provide services in fields like education, health, and food, and did not signify an end to UNRWA's mandate to serve as the agency for Palestinian refugees.
According to Palestinian sources, the individuals fanning the flames are those with vested personal interests. They expressed concerns the criticism could harm funding from donor states.
In 2018, UNRWA received $200 million from Arab states, but that figure has since decreased dramatically and now stands at $20 million annually. Austria and Britain have slashed their donations by 50%, and with right-wing parties gaining in strength, that funding is likely to continue to decrease in the future.
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