Foreign Minister Sugiono: Sustainable Funding And Predicted Urat Nadi UNRWA Operations

Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono while attending a meeting on UNRWA. (Source: Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

JAKARTA - Sustainable and predictable funding is the lifeblood of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) operation, said Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono.

This was conveyed by Foreign Minister Sugiono at the Ministerial High Level Meeting on UNRWA on the sidelines of the United Nations 80th General Assembly in New York, United States Thursday local time, Foreign Minister Sugiono said Indonesia was ready to support politically and financially.

The lack of funding is one of the major challenges faced by UNRWA and is a deep concern for the Indonesian Foreign Minister, in addition to political pressure to efforts to legitimize his mandate.

"Sustainable and predictable funding is the lifeblood of UNRWA operations," said Foreign Minister Sugiono, launching a statement from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Friday, September 26.

"Indonesia remains committed to contributing to UNRWA, both through our government and through other innovative channels, including our National Amil Zakat Agency (BAZNAS)," he said.

It is known that UNRWA was founded by the General Assembly in 1949 after the war that broke out around the founding of Israel. UNRWA provides assistance, health, and education for millions of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the UN Security Council have described UNRWA as the backbone of the aid response in Gaza.

However, UNRWA faced challenges after its staff were accused of being linked to the militant group Hamas. Not only that, the United States as UNRWA's largest donor stopped funding in January 2024 through US President Joe Biden's decision at that time. This decision was extended by the US Congress and President Donald Trump, leaving the agency with a deficit of about 200 million US dollars.

Quoted from the UNRWA website, the agency almost completely relies on voluntary contributions from UN Member States and intergovernmental organizations to its mandatory and operational funding.

Last year, UNRWA mobilized about $1.4 billion in a confirmed commitment and received $1.3 billion in the form of a contribution, the second-highest revenue rate in the agency's history after a record high in 2023.

However, revenue was unable to meet unprecedented needs, amounting to USD 2.7 billion, which only reached 51 percent of budget needs.

Last year, Germany was listed as UNRWA's largest donor with funds reaching 173,944,652 US dollars, followed by the European Union with 153,662,358 US dollars, and the United States in third place with 70,597,571 US dollars.