The United Nations organisations are feeling the pinch of Trump administration's decision to slash funding, so much so that they are even exploring alternate fund raising areas, such as private fundings.
During a recent trip to India, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Commissioner General Pierre Krahenbuhl noted that the organisation has a shortfall of 446 million dollars this year, most of which was because the US had cut funding by 300 million dollars to the agency.
He said since several other countries had upped the contributions, they had managed to sail through this year. “However, the nature of funding is such that every year is a new challenge. If all those who donated as much this year do the same next year, we will be fine. Otherwise, we will be in trouble,'' he added. India, which was contributing 1.5 million dollars a year, upped donations to five million dollars a year for three years this March.
Krahenbuhl said it was unfortunate that a permanent resolution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict was nowhere near the horizon. While speaking about the works his agency has been doing for the last 70 years, he said it is sad that UNRWA had to be in existence for so long. “A political resolution to the conflict should be the priority,'' he added.
UNRWA runs thousands of schools for Palestinian refugees across the world. It also runs primary health centres for them. Krahenbuhl said if these institutions were forced to shut down due to paucity of funding, it would lead to a humanitarian crisis. “The king of Jordan himself had said that if these children no longer have access to education, the issue will develop into a security concern,'' he said.
Last year, however, has seen some heartwarming efforts at fundraising, with the alumnae of these UNRWA-run schools from across the world chipping in for their alma maters. In one instance, a former student, who lost both legs to the conflict, did a fundraising through social media to save his school. He went to the Mt Everest Base Camp to raise awareness about the need for funds.
